'Streets will be dirty and smell bad'<\/p>\n
The 17-year-old agreement between Jakarta and Bekasi on the use
\nof the Bantar Gebang dump will end on Dec. 31. An environmental
\nexpert has called on the Jakarta and Bekasi administrations to
\nfind a solution to avoid a possible garbage crisis in the capital
\nin the near future. The Jakarta Post talked to some residents on
\nthe issue.<\/p>\n
Mick Powell, 50, is an Australian who has been living in
\nIndonesia for 13 years. He lives on Jl. Fatmawati, South Jakarta,
\nwith his wife:<\/p>\n
High technology is needed to treat waste, moreover Jakarta
\nproduces thousands of tons of garbage every day. Maybe the city
\nadministration does not consider waste as a lucrative business
\nand therefore no one has been interested in investing in the
\nwaste business.<\/p>\n
Burning the garbage is not the best way out. I suggest that
\nlow technology be used to treat waste as it is environmentally
\nfriendly.<\/p>\n
The administration must empower scavengers and poor people to
\nmake money from garbage. Scavengers help collect and sort the
\norganic waste from the non-organic waste. While the poor people
\ncan be accommodated by the recycling industry that uses waste as
\nits raw materials. For instance, organic waste can be turned into
\nfertilizer.<\/p>\n
I'm sure by providing this sort of industry, it will be a
\nsource of income for the poor people, scavengers and the
\nadministration itself.<\/p>\n
It won't be easy. It will take time to get residents to
\nseparate their garbage. I'm sad to see that people here are
\ncareless in treating their waste.<\/p>\n
Kris, 32, is an employee with an international organization in
\nSouth Jakarta. He lives in Setiabudi, South Jakarta:<\/p>\n
Garbage is a very crucial problem that needs immediate
\nhandling from the city administration.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso must think about the most effective way to
\ntreat waste effectively.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, it is a good idea for the City Sanitation Agency to
\nempower scavengers or evicted squatters who are willing to treat
\nwaste.<\/p>\n
This would be a blessing in disguise for the poor people as it
\nwill improve their welfare.<\/p>\n
Suminah, not her real name, 50, is a street sweeper in West
\nJakarta. She lives in Kemanggisan, West Jakarta, with her husband
\nand five children:<\/p>\n
I have no idea on how to solve the waste problem. I only know
\nthat I sweep and clean the garbage from the streets and the
\ntrucks take it away.<\/p>\n
I can't imagine what will happen if one day the waste cannot
\nbe taken to the dump. All the streets will be dirty and smell bad
\nand I will have to sweep them all day long. Maybe I will have to
\nwork harder so that my supervisor cannot blame me for the
\nmounting waste.<\/p>\n
I think it's impossible for residents to stop or reduce
\nproducing household waste, right?<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/streets-will-be-dirty-and-smell-bad-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }