City Hall caught making false statement<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration has been caught making a false statement
\nabout constructing garbage treatment facilities in three places
\nwith a combined capacity to process 4,000 tons of garbage per day
\nin anticipation of the closure of the Bantar Gebang dump in
\nBekasi mayoralty.<\/p>\n
City spokesman Ahyat M. Awe said last week that construction
\nof garbage treatment facilities in Jonggol, Bogor; Duri Kosambi,
\nWest Jakarta; and Cilincing, East Jakarta, were about 80 percent
\ncomplete.<\/p>\n
Ahyat said his statement was based on a report by the head of
\nthe City Sanitation Agency, Salamat Limbong, to Governor Sutiyoso
\nabout the readiness of his agency to replace Bantar Gebang dump.<\/p>\n
But when The Jakarta Post visited two of the three places --
\nDuri Kosambi and Cilincing -- on Wednesday, there appeared to be
\nno construction being done.<\/p>\n
In Duri Kosambi, the location is a field planted with various
\nvegetables, such as spinach and kangkung (water spinach).<\/p>\n
Abdul Hamid, a staff member at the sanitation agency who is in
\ncharge of the human waste treatment facility in Duri Kosambi,
\nsaid that a six-hectare plot of land, located near the human
\nwaste management center, had been allocated for a garbage
\nmanagement facility.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, this is the place for garbage management, but I do not
\nknow when the construction of the facility will begin,\" Hamid
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
According to Ahyat, the garbage treatment facility in Duri
\nKosambi, which will convert garbage into bio-fertilizer, is
\nexpected to process about 1,000 tons of garbage per day.<\/p>\n
Similar circumstances were apparent at the allocated dump site
\non Jl. Cakung Cilincing which, according to Ahyat, will process
\n1,000 tons of garbage per day. The site only housed the garbage
\ntransfer station managed by PT Wira Gulfindo.<\/p>\n
About 300 trucks carry waste from Cilincing to Bantar Gebang
\nevery day.<\/p>\n
A worker at the transfer station said he knew nothing about
\nthe plan to construct a garbage treatment facility, which Ahyat
\nsaid would use \"press ball\" technology.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I know, the only garbage facility being developed
\nis in Jonggol. I know nothing about construction plans for here,\"
\nsaid the worker.<\/p>\n
Ahyat said the capacity of the Jonggol facility would be
\naround 2,000 tons per day.<\/p>\n
Jakarta residents produce some 6,000 tons of garbage per day,
\nwhich is dumped at the 104-hectare Bantar Gebang dump site, to
\nwhich the Jakarta city administration has contractual rights.<\/p>\n
Late on Wednesday, Ahyat apologized for his erroneous
\nstatement, saying that Salamat Limbong had conceded that his
\nreport was wrong. Ahyat said Limbong had corrected his statement,
\nsaying that the only garbage treatment facility being constructed
\nwas at the Jonggol site.<\/p>\n
Limbong was not available for comment on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso has stressed that he has ordered the closure of
\nBantar Gebang dump, saying the city will be able to manage the
\ngarbage produced by city residents. He also said that the Bekasi
\nmayoralty would not be allowed to dump garbage at the new sites.<\/p>\n
In December 2001, Bekasi closed the Bandar Gebang dump for a
\nweek due to environmental damage. The closure caused a garbage
\ncrisis in the city, with garbage piling up on many streets. The
\ndump was reopened after talks between the Jakarta administration
\nand the Bekasi administration and the intervention of President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-hall-caught-making-false-statement-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}