Residents oppose plan to reopen garbage dump<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration's plan to reopen a garbage dump in
\nSrengseng, West Jakarta, is being bitterly opposed by upset and
\nbewildered locals.<\/p>\n
They find it difficult to comprehend how the former garbage
\nsite, which was closed six years ago and has since been converted
\ninto a shady, green park with a fish pond, could once again
\nbecome a polluted and unhealthy garbage dump.<\/p>\n
Located in the middle of a high density housing compound, the
\npark has functioned as one of Jakarta's 'lungs', as well as being
\na water-catchment area. Every week at least 1,000 people visit
\nthe park, contributing around Rp 600,000 (US$60) per month to the
\ncity's coffers courtesy of the entrance fee, according to Jaya,
\nthe park keeper, who is an employee of the City Forestry Agency.<\/p>\n
It took the agency one year and Rp 4 billion to convert the
\nsite into the current parkland.<\/p>\n
H. Muhayat, chief of a Srengseng neighborhood unit, recalled
\nhow his family and other nearby residents used to suffer as a
\nresult of their proximity to the dump. They had to contend with
\nthe smell of the garbage, and experienced diarrhea, dengue fever
\nepidemics and flooding for five years before the dump was finally
\nclosed down following protests from locals.<\/p>\n
\"I will lead the residents in opposing the plan,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Other residents shared his sentiments. Satiri, 41, whose house
\nis located just 30 meters from the site, vowed that she and her
\nfamily would join the rally to protest the city's plan. Even the
\nsecretary of the Srengseng subdistrict administration, Rais bin
\nHasan, vowed to back the people.<\/p>\n
If the former dump were to be reopened, many planters,
\nflorists and fishing equipment vendors operating in the park
\nmight lose their jobs.<\/p>\n
The plan to reopen Srengseng dump was revealed after the city
\nadministration failed to reach an agreement with Bekasi
\nauthorities on Bantar Gebang dump, which has been used by Jakarta
\nsince 1986.<\/p>\n
Bekasi authorities are insisting on closing the dump by the
\nend of this year due to environmental considerations.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso had insisted earlier that the dump should not be
\nclosed until 2003 as stated in an earlier agreement. He also
\nthreatened to bring the case to the court if the Bekasi
\nadministration did not change its mind.<\/p>\n
But Bekasi authorities are adamant that the dump must be
\nclosed.<\/p>\n
Jakarta produces at least 25,000 cubic meters, or more than
\n6,000 tons, of household waste every day, but only 23,000 cubic
\nmeters can be transported to Bantar Gebang. The remaining waste
\nis scattered on roadsides or dumped in rivers.<\/p>\n
Following the deadlock, Jakarta governor Sutiyoso claimed his
\nadministration was prepared for the closure of Bantar Gebang. It
\nseems, however, that the administration's plans were not well
\ndeveloped.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the administration said it had prepared sites in
\nSrengseng and Cengkareng, West Jakarta. But on Wednesday,
\nSutiyoso said that garbage would be temporarily dumped in
\nSrengseng and Kamal Muara in North Jakarta. No details about the
\ncondition of the sites were given.<\/p>\n
According to the administration, the two sites would only be
\nused for a few months. A private dump in Jonggol, Bogor was
\nsuggested as a long term alternative, even though this would mean
\nthe city would have to pay Rp 30 billion a year to rent the 40-
\nhectare dump, which would be ready in March.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a staff member of the Kamal Muara subdistrict
\nadministration said it would be prepared to support the plan to
\ndump waste in the area as the site was located in the middle of
\nan industrial estate, far from any housing compounds.<\/p>\n
The city also plans to add 18 more incinerators to the current
\nfive, and to speed up its cooperation with PT Bio fertilizer
\nIndonesia, which will begin converting trash into organic
\nfertilizer next year.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso also threatened to bring the issue to Home Affairs
\nMinister Hari Sabarno, but until Wednesday he failed to show up
\nat the home affairs ministry office.<\/p>\n
\"As we have now reached a stalemate, I will ask the Home
\nAffairs Minister to help solve the problem,\" Sutiyoso said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The conflict over the site worsened after two garbage trucks
\nbelonging to the Jakarta administration were set alight by Bekasi
\nresidents upset at seeing the trucks' drivers dumping garbage in
\na street near the dump site.<\/p>",
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