Garbage dump closure plan opposed<\/p>\n
BEKASI (JP): Hundreds of scavengers at the disputed Bantar
\nGebang garbage dump site here had the opportunity on Tuesday to
\nmeet with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and urge him to disregard a
\nrequest from Bekasi councilors to close the dump.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso disembarked from a helicopter at about 2 p.m., onto a
\nnearby soccer field to meet with the scavengers.<\/p>\n
\"Where else would the 15,000 scavengers and their families get
\nmoney for living?\" asked Sudi Hariono.<\/p>\n
The dumping site, east of the capital, is owned and operated
\nby the Jakarta administration under an arrangement with Bekasi
\nauthorities, who are under the supervision of the West Java
\nprovincial administration.<\/p>\n
Sudi said all the scavengers and their families, as well as
\nscores of other locals from three neighboring villages, strongly
\nopposed the plan to close the dumping site. He said most people
\nin the area were totally dependent on revenue from businesses
\nderived from the site.<\/p>\n
\"Only 10 percent of residents, mostly those living at a nearby
\nhousing complex, have attempted to reject the presence of the
\ngarbage dump,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudi said he and his friends would soon hold a mass rally at
\nthe Bekasi Council, to demand the newly elected legislators
\ncancel their request to Jakarta for the closure of the 108-
\nhectare dump.<\/p>\n
He said that if the councilors refused to meet their demand,
\nthe scavengers would press them to resign their posts.<\/p>\n
\"It's better for the councilors to resign then that thousands
\nof us cannot eat,\" said Sudi, who claimed to have worked at the
\nheavily polluted site for nine years.<\/p>\n
Sudi said that the tons of Jakarta garbage dumped at the site
\nenabled the scavengers to earn an average daily income of between
\nRp 5,000 (65 US cents) and Rp 10,000.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso was accompanied by Jakarta's development planning
\nboard head Bambang Sungkono and sanitary agency head Saksono
\nSoehodo.<\/p>\n
The governor and his entourage toured the scavengers' shanties
\non local ojek (motorcycle taxis).<\/p>\n
Payment for their rides was reportedly paid for by the senior
\nmember of the scavengers, Iskandar Manik. The amount for the
\nrides of the three VIPs from Jakarta was unknown.<\/p>\n
Bekasi councilors recently urged the Jakarta administration,
\nas the land owner, to cease dumping activities and close down the
\nsite. The councilors claimed the dump led to heavy pollution in
\nthe area, which in turn caused respiratory and skin diseases.<\/p>\n
There has been extensive media coverage of associated health
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
Healthy<\/p>\n
In their discussion with Sutiyoso, the scavengers were keen to
\nprove to their visiting guests that they did not suffer health
\nproblems from living and working near the polluted garbage dump.<\/p>\n
\"We're healthy,\" said Salsah, a female scavenger.<\/p>\n
As if intending to prove the scavengers protestations,
\nSutiyoso also examined the residents' wells which were apparently
\nclean and not foul-smelling.<\/p>\n
\"It's not as bad as it has been reported. But of course, we
\nwould continue giving them free medical treatment,\" the Jakarta
\ngovernor said.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on the scavengers' request not to close the
\ndump, Sutiyoso said that he understood their grievance.<\/p>\n
\"It's a complicated matter. It would be difficult to give them
\njobs should we have to quickly close the dump,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Our priority (at the moment) is to restore the environmental
\ndamages here.\"<\/p>\n
Some 25 overloaded hectares of the 65-hectares garbage dump,
\nhave been covered with soil to extinguish smoke caused by burning
\ntrash.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso also revealed on Tuesday that the opening of the
\nproposed new garbage dump in Ciangir, Tangerang, west of Jakarta,
\nwas on hold because it was located near the Cimanceri River,
\nwhich is used by local residents for daily needs.<\/p>\n
\"We're afraid that the planned Ciangir garbage dump would
\ncontaminate the river,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said he had instructed his officials to also consider
\nthe possibility of applying high-technology methods in processing
\nthe garbage, which totals 23,000 cubic meters per day.<\/p>\n
He said a substantial financial investment would be needed to
\nfollow through on such a venture and invited foreign investors to
\nparticipate in the project. (jun)<\/p>",
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