Public's role in garbage management sought<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta
\nPost, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Residents here will soon have to start separating organic
\nwaste from non-organic trash, otherwise, garbage collectors from
\nthe city sanitation agency will not pick it up.<\/p>\n
The sanction, which is scheduled to be imposed starting early
\nnext year, is sought by the city administration in an attempt to
\nforce people to help manage their own garbage.<\/p>\n
Before implementing the sanctions, according to the city
\nadministration spokesman, Muhayat, the administration will
\nconduct a campaign among the people to manage household garbage
\nbefore dumping it.<\/p>\n
\"Without punishment, people will ignore the campaign,\" he told
\nThe Jakarta Post, asserting that the agency had set up the
\ncampaign for its 2002 agenda.<\/p>\n
He believed the method would be beneficial not only for the
\nwaste processing in a dump site, but also to recyclers as they
\ncould sort waste easier.<\/p>\n
The administration was scheduled to conduct the campaign with
\nassistance from several non-governmental environment
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
Public participation in the waste management is indeed
\nessential, and has been done by many other countries for a long
\ntime.<\/p>\n
However, the city administration, without a proper concept to
\nmanage the garbage, never took it seriously, until it was
\noverwhelmed by the garbage problems following the closure of the
\nBantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, West Java, on Dec. 10, due to
\nenvironmental problems.<\/p>\n
A few days later, with the persuasion of the Home Affairs
\nMinistry, the Bekasi mayoralty agreed to reopen it under several
\nconditions, including the establishment of a hospital near the
\nsite. Otherwise, it will be closed again on Feb.1, 2002.<\/p>\n
The panicked city administration has looked into a number of
\nalternative dump sites, the opening of new sites, the purchase of
\nincinerators and the processing of the garbage into compost and
\nfertilizers. It also is seeking help from nearby administrations
\nand private companies.<\/p>\n
Even the State Minister of Environment Nabiel Makarim
\nexpressed his concern about the garbage issue, and called for
\npublic participation as well.<\/p>\n
After visiting the Bantar Gebang site on Thursday, he met
\nSutiyoso on Friday.<\/p>\n
During their meeting, Nabiel ordered Sutiyoso to clean up all
\nuntransported garbage, which was still piled high in several
\nareas of the city and attracting all manner of vermin and
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
He also urged the city administration and the Bekasi mayoralty
\nto make peace as it had made residents in Jakarta and Bekasi
\nsuffer.<\/p>\n
Nabiel revealed that the closure of Bantar Gebang was not
\nmerely an implementation problem but was also ridden with
\npolitical motives. He refused to elaborate, but told the people
\nnot to vote for political parties which fail to manage garbage
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
The Bantar Gebang closure has also led to widespread
\nspeculation of massive corruption in the city sanitation agency
\nand the accusation that the Bekasi councillors issued a
\nrecommendation for the closure of the dump after they failed to
\nextort certain officials at the city administration.<\/p>\n
Nabiel also announced that the government will hold next year
\na competition among cities around the country for the Adipura
\ncup, which will be awarded to the cleanest and most beautiful
\ncity in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Adipura competition was suspended in 1997 because of
\nallegations of dirty politics, following public criticism that it
\nwas prone to manipulation. However, Nabiel brushed aside the
\nrumors.<\/p>\n
\"The competition is still good enough to encourage
\nadministrations to manage the sanitation in their towns,\" he
\ninsisted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/publics-role-in-garbage-management-sought-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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