City still dithering over garbage problem<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration's incompetence in waste management
\nhas back-fired on the administration following the decision of
\nBekasi municipality to close Bantar Gebang, Jakarta's principal
\ngarbage dump, prior to the expiry of the agreement between the
\ntwo cities in 2003.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration seems to be lack commitment in
\ndealing with its garbage, as shown by the city's inconsistency
\nover the Bantar Gebang dump, which is located in Bekasi, says
\nGempur Adnan, the director of the Hazardous and Toxic Waste
\nDepartment at the Environmental Impact Control Agency (Bapedal).<\/p>\n
Moreover, the selection of the sanitary landfill system, which
\ndoes not suit the conditions in Jakarta, is not a long-term
\nsolution for the management of the city's garbage, especially
\nwhen it is not carried out in accordance with the system's
\nrequirements.<\/p>\n
"Jakarta doesn't have enough land to hold the waste it
\nproduces, nor the discipline and equipment required for the
\nsanitary landfill system," Gempur said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
About 23,000 cubic meters of the more than 25,000 cubic meters
\nof household waste that is transported daily to Bantar Gebang is
\nsupposed to be dealt with using the sanitary landfill system, but
\nin reality the garbage is just dumped in the open, causing health
\nproblems and environmental damage in the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
Following the planned closure of Bantar Gebang, Jakarta has
\nmentioned a number of other sites where it may temporarily dump
\nits garbage, including Tegal Alur in West Jakarta. The city is
\nalso to rent a dump site at Jonggol, Bogor, for which the
\nadministration will have to pay Rp 30 billion per year for the 40
\nhectares of land that are due to be ready in March.<\/p>\n
Aside from lacking the land for a dump, the administration
\nalso lack the necessary equipment, such as garbage trucks, to
\ntransport the waste to the dump, as well as committed
\nprofessionals who are trained in waste management.<\/p>\n
"The resources provided and treatment methods are primitive,
\nvery unsuitable for a major city such as Jakarta. The condition
\nof the garbage trucks, for example -- too old and poorly
\nmaintained" Gempur commented.<\/p>\n
The city's sanitation agency operates around 900 trucks, while
\nideally there should be 1,300 trucks to transport the city's
\ntrash.<\/p>\n
A budget allocation for the purchase of 50 garbage trucks this
\nyear was canceled and the funds instead went on buying official
\ncars for city council members.<\/p>\n
The use of incinerators, Gempur asserted, was much more
\nefficient in eliminating garbage in large cities, although he
\nacknowledged that the investment and the maintenance involved
\nwere costly.<\/p>\n
"But why not? (invest in incinerators). It's worth it for the
\nsake of the public's health and the environment," Gempur said.<\/p>\n
An incinerator costs in the region of Rp 250 million, and the
\nadministration is planning to purchase 10 more in the near
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
The city's Sanitation Agency currently has five incinerators
\nlocated in Sunter, North Jakarta and Rawamangun in East Jakarta,
\nwith the capacity to burn three cubic meters of garbage per hour.<\/p>\n
As the administration has always cited lack of funds to
\nproperly manage the city's garbage, Gempur suggested that waste
\nmanagement be privatized.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-still-dithering-over-garbage-problem-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}