Residents say no to plan for garbage processing<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of residents in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta, rejected the
\ncity administration's plan to set up a garbage processing plant
\nat the sewage treatment compound in the area, saying they did not
\nbelieve the administration anymore after it broke its earlier
\npromise.<\/p>\n
The residents claimed the city had promised during the
\nconstruction of the sewage treatment compound that the facility
\nwould not pollute the surrounding environment. Instead, when the
\nfacility began operating, they found that they could no longer
\ndrink the groundwater and had to buy bottled water since.<\/p>\n
They feared that the new garbage processing plant would
\nfurther deteriorate the environment.<\/p>\n
Mohamad Soleh, a senior resident of Duri Kosambi, said on
\nFriday that when the city administration began constructing the
\nsewage treatment compound in 1995, the officials promised that it
\nwould not pollute the groundwater and emit airborne pollutants.<\/p>\n
Soleh said he bought an average 30 liters of water every day,
\nwhich cost him an additional Rp 50,000 (US$5.90) per month.<\/p>\n
\"We can't drink the groundwater. Sometimes, we can't even use
\nit for bathing because it really stinks,\" he said. \"The odor has
\noften embarrassed residents throwing parties, because their
\nguests wince when they smell it.\"<\/p>\n
Soleh said he had supported the city in the sewage treatment
\nproject eight years ago.<\/p>\n
\"This time, I won't fall prey to empty promises.\"<\/p>\n
He also mentioned that the air was cleaner in the last two
\nweeks.<\/p>\n
Another resident, Saduni, suggested, \"Maybe it's because the
\npress came to interview locals after we protested the city's
\nplan. Maybe the operators of the sewage treatment facility are
\nafraid that our complaints on the stink will appear in newspapers
\nand decided to put the proper amount of treatment chemicals into
\nthe sewage.\"<\/p>\n
Prior to the protest, the residents had formed a committee to
\noppose the city's garbage processing plant plan and 800 members
\nhad signed a rejection letter that was sent to the City
\nSanitation Agency, said Saduni, the committee's spokesman.<\/p>\n
Soleh said city officials had come to the area with
\ninformation on the garbage processing plant, saying that at least
\n400 dump trucks would come to the dump every day, bringing
\nthousands of tons of garbage.<\/p>\n
The officials also reassured residents that modern technology
\nwould be used to minimize the environmental and human impact.<\/p>\n
The residents feared that the garbage processing facility
\nwould also lure many scavengers to their neighborhood and affect
\ntheir living conditions.<\/p>\n
So far, only the garbage processing facility in Bojong
\nvillage, Bogor regency, is ready to take over managing the city's
\ngarbage from Bantar Gebang dump, Bekasi, which will close on Dec.
\n31. But its capacity is only 1,500 tons, far too low to manage
\nthe 6,000 tons of garbage produced daily by Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The two planned facilities in Duri Kosambi and on Jl. Cakung
\nCilincing, East Jakarta, are expected to be completed in June
\n2004.<\/p>\n
The city administration is still trying to persuade Bekasi to
\nextend the capital's use of Bantar Gebang, and has offered Rp 25
\nbillion in compensation. Bantar Gebang, however, has refused on
\nthe gorunds that the city had damaged the environment and
\nendangered the public's health.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-say-no-to-plan-for-garbage-processing-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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