The garbage problem seems to be here to stay<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakartans still remember the garbage crisis at the end of 2001
\nwhen the Bekasi municipality administration, backed by its
\nresidents, closed the Bantar Gebang dump for weeks, leaving the
\ncapital perplexed over how to handle its mounting garbage.<\/p>\n
Bekasi argued that the 104-hectare dump, that has accommodated
\nJakarta's 6,000 tons of garbage a day since 1986, had caused
\nenvironmental damage in the area and endangered people's health.<\/p>\n
The closure resulted in piles of garbage on every corner of
\nthe city, spreading a putrid smell.<\/p>\n
The heated dispute between Jakarta and Bekasi ended after
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri and State Minister of the
\nEnvironment Nabiel Makarim intervened.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso decided at that time to dismiss the chief
\nand deputy chief of the Jakarta Sanitation Agency and paid a
\ntotal of Rp 22 billion (US$2.59 million) compensation for Bekasi.<\/p>\n
However, city officials have yet to learn.<\/p>\n
While the administration is aware that Dec. 31 is the last day
\nthat the city can make use of Bantar Gebang, the administration
\nhas not prepared alternative waste treatment facilities to
\nreplace the existing dump site.<\/p>\n
In June, the officials convinced Jakartans they had prepared
\nthree separate locations for waste treatment facilities to
\nreplace Bantar Gebang.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso himself even said that he would \"hang\" officials who
\ngave misleading reports on the preparation of the dumps.<\/p>\n
So far, only one waste treatment facility in Bojong village,
\nBogor regency, with a capacity of only about 1,500 tons per day,
\nwill be ready by January.<\/p>\n
Bojong residents are firmly opposed to the presence of the new
\ndump. As an indication of just how strong their opposition is to
\nthe site, police had to fire warning shots during a protest early
\nthis month. Jakarta's plan to use German technology in treating
\ngarbage to minimize environmental damage did nothing to sway the
\nopinion of people living in the area around the dump.<\/p>\n
Two other facilities in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta, -- which
\nlocals are also opposed to -- and on Jl. Cakung Cilincing in East
\nJakarta will only be ready by June 2004, officials said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile it seems not one of the officials responsible is
\nabout to be \"hanged\" as Sutiyoso threatened.<\/p>\n
In the last weeks, Sutiyoso has been trying hard to persuade
\nthe Bekasi administration to change its mind, including offering
\nRp 25 billion in compensation, hoping Bekasi would reopen Bantar
\nGebang although the latter already has plans to convert the site
\ninto a community area.<\/p>\n
Once the Jakarta administration manages to identify the
\nreasons behind Bekasi and Bojong's rejection of their proposal,
\nthey can change their approach.<\/p>\n
Observers had previously called on Jakarta to comply with all
\nitems already agreed upon including the installment of a
\nprocessing plant in Bantar Gebang to avoid the worsening
\nenvironmental damage.<\/p>\n
The piling waste is supposed to be processed using the
\nsanitary landfill system. In reality, the garbage is just dumped
\nin the open with mounds of garbage towering 15 meters high.<\/p>\n
Many residents living around the dump site suffer from
\nrespiratory problems, diarrhea and various skin ailments, due to
\nthe foul air and contaminated ground water.<\/p>\n
Jakarta had also failed to regreen Bantar Gebang as stated in
\na renewed agreement signed in early 2002. The agreement also said
\nthat the capital would build a water pipeline to supply clean
\nwater for people in surrounding villages.<\/p>\n
A metropolis like Jakarta, which covers an area of 60,000
\nhectares, should have its own waste treatment facilities. The
\ncity administration has signed nine memorandums of understanding
\n(MOUs) with private companies toward that goal.<\/p>\n
However, only two of them have been followed through.<\/p>\n
PT Wira Gulfindo Sarana is managing the facility in Bojong
\nwhile PT Interindo Global is now constructing a facility in Duri
\nKosambi that will convert garbage into liquid fertilizer.<\/p>\n
The city, in another effort to ease the crisis had provided
\nincinerators to subdistricts. However, the program failed because
\nit could not significantly reduce the garbage. Officials argued
\nthat the now idle incinerators did not match the specifications
\nin the original plan.<\/p>\n
In 2002, the city allocated Rp 103 billion for sanitation
\nprojects but some Rp 32 billion of that was unused. This year,
\nthe city allocated some Rp 280 billion for similar projects.
\nThere have been no details given on the expenditure.<\/p>\n
Officials argued that they failed to finish the waste
\ntreatment facilities on time because the residents demanded
\npayment for their land based on its taxable value (NJOP) --
\nhigher than what the administration had offered -- delaying the
\nclearing of the land for the projects.<\/p>\n
The question is, when all efforts to get Bantar Gebang dump
\nback failed, what can Jakartans do to ease the waste crisis?<\/p>\n
It is important that Jakartans start separating organic and
\nnonorganic waste in every household, experts say. Data from the
\nJakarta Sanitation Agency revealed that around 65 percent of the
\ndaily waste is from households and small markets, meaning that
\nthere is a large proportion of organic waste.<\/p>\n
Subdistricts officials must actively campaign for the adoption
\nof simple waste treatment methods such as composting to turn
\norganic waste into fertilizer. Even scavengers must be taught to
\nsort garbage because some of the nonorganic garbage can be turned
\ninto recycled items.<\/p>\n
Changing people's habits and encouraging the use of recycled
\nproducts will help ease the garbage problems.<\/p>\n
If all necessary efforts in managing garbage have been taken,
\nJakartans will be able to handle its waste in a more
\nenvironmentally friendly way without depending on neighboring
\ncities.<\/p>\n
Source of garbage in Jakarta
\nNo. Source of garbage Volume (m3) Percentage
\n----------------------------------------------------
\n1. Households 14,602 58.0
\n2. Small markets 629 2.5
\n3. PD Pasar Jaya<\/p>\n
(City owned markets) 1,888 7.5
\n4. Industry 3,776 15.0
\n5. Roads and parks 3,776 15.0
\n6 Rivers 505 2.0
\n--------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
Total 25,176 100<\/p>\n
Source: Jakarta Sanitation Agency<\/p>\n
Agreements with private companies
\nNo. Company Locations Status Capacity Notes<\/p>\n
ton\/day
\n-------------------------------------------------------------
\n1. PT Wira Gulfindo Bojong, agreement 1,500 ready in<\/p>\n
Sarana Bogor signed January
\n2. PT Wira Gulfindo Cacing, no<\/p>\n
Sarana E. Jakarta MOU 1,000 follow up
\n3. PT Interindo D. Kosambi agreement 1,000 ready in<\/p>\n
Global signed June 2004
\n4. PT Tata Prima Nambo, MOU 1,500 no<\/p>\n
Alam Bogor follow up
\n5. PT Bio Pupuk Marunda no<\/p>\n
Indonesia Jaya N. Jakarta MOU 350 follow up
\n6. PT Dasa Prima Sukapura MOU 500 no<\/p>\n
Lestari Unggul E. Jakarta follow up
\n7. PT ACME Corp. Marunda MOU 1,000 no<\/p>\n
follow up
\n8 PT Galuh Chandra Rawa Buaya proposed 500 no<\/p>\n
Kirana W. Jakarta MOU 1,000 follow up
\n9. PT Karya Mitra Cakung no<\/p>\n
Selaras E. Jakarta MOU follow up
\n10. PT Bhineka P. Marunda MOU 6,000 no<\/p>\n
Marketindo follow up
\n11. PT Sucaco Daan Mogot proposed 1,200 no<\/p>\n
W. Jakarta MOU follow up
\n---------------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
Source: Jakarta Sanitation Agency<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-garbage-problem-seems-to-be-here-to-stay-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }