Environmentalist urges action at city dump<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An environmentalist called on the city
\nadministration on Monday to stop burning activities at the city's
\ngarbage dump, Bantar Gebang, in Bekasi.<\/p>\n
\"The burning of garbage is not suggested in sanitary garbage
\nmanagement,\" said Achmad Safrudin, executive director of the
\nJakarta chapter of the Indonesia Environmental Forum (Walhi).<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that burning garbage would accelerate the
\ndecomposition of waste matter, rather than allowing refuse to
\nslowly decompose.<\/p>\n
\"But the smoke from the burning of waste matter pollutes the
\natmosphere of the surrounding areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The smog -- a mixture of smoke and carbon monoxide -- will
\ncause troubles for people with asthma.\"<\/p>\n
The afternoon daily, Suara Pembaruan, quoted a doctor at
\nBekasi General Hospital as saying on Sunday that smog generated
\nfrom burning garbage was more dangerous than emissions from
\nforest fires in Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"Bantar Gebang's smog contains more poisonous gases, such as
\ncarbon monoxide and methane, than burning forest's smog,\" said
\nthe doctor, who requested anonymity.<\/p>\n
Paulus Agus Winarso, who works as a meteorologist, said the
\nconcentration of smog at the site would increase the temperature
\nof the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
Paulus, also a member of the National Research Council, said
\ntemperature changes would also affect the health of residents
\nliving in the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
Media reports recently quoted people living in the surrounding
\nBantar Gebang areas as saying they had been experiencing troubles
\nwith thicker smog resulting from burning at the garbage dump.
\nThey also complained about their limited vision and respiratory
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
Achmad said he was uncertain whether the city's sanitation
\nagency was responsible for the burning, but suggested the agency
\nshould at the very least work to prevent the burning activity.<\/p>\n
\"The garbage dump is a closed area. It won't be difficult for
\ncity administration officials to prevent scavengers from burning
\nthe garbage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Scavengers<\/p>\n
The head of the city sanitation agency, Saksono Hoesodo, said
\nsmoke from the burning trash was caused by scavengers who threw
\nlit cigarettes in the garbage dump.<\/p>\n
He said the cigarettes could easily set the 128-hectare
\ngarbage dump on fire and burn the garbage, as methane gas levels,
\ngenerated from rotten trash, were extremely high.<\/p>\n
\"It's difficult to prohibit the scavengers from operating
\nthere. Meanwhile, dry weather could also trigger the garbage
\nburning,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the agency would move the garbage dump to Tangerang.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, the city will develop a new garbage dump in
\nCiangir subdistrict, Tangerang,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta produces at least 23,000 cubic meters of trash every
\nday, all of which is dumped at Bantar Gebang.<\/p>\n
\"Half of the trash could be dumped at Ciangir if its
\nconstruction is completed in 2,003,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Achmad called on city residents to help the city
\nadministration act on the garbage management problem.<\/p>\n
\"City residents should separate recycled garbage from non-
\nrecycled material,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The garbage dump should then only retain garbage which can't
\nbe recycled, such as food waste.<\/p>\n
\"Meanwhile, the recycled garbage could be sold to companies
\nfor recycling purposes.\"<\/p>\n
He said Bantar Gebang had a capacity of 12,000 cubic meters of
\ngarbage per day, but that it currently received 20,000 to 30,000
\ncubic meters daily.<\/p>\n
Head of garbage demolition at the garbage dump Prasodjo
\nconfirmed the volumes.<\/p>\n
\"Everyday 700 trucks release their garbage at the garbage
\ndump, each of the trucks contains at least 20,000 cubic meters of
\ngarbage,\" he said, as quoted by Warta Kota daily on Sunday.
\n(asa\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/environmentalist-urges-action-at-city-dump-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}