Bantar Gebang closure brings joy to residents
Theresa Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bekasi
Ani's eyes blinked in joy when she was asked how she felt about the Bekasi administration's decision to close Bantar Gebang refuse dump this weekend.
"We have been in a state of cohabitation with all manner of disease-bearing vermin and flies emanating from the dump for the past 12 years. It's abhorrent, and we were virtually powerless to take the necessary steps required for relocating the site," said Ani, a 31-year-old woman who owns a food stall in the area.
"We are euphoric because as of Monday, there will not be any more trucks discarding refuse here," she added.
Not too far from Ani's food stall, tons of garbage was seen piled in and around the 104-hectare dump.
An appalling stench hung heavily in the air while hundreds of flies were seen flying over and around the area, as well as inside the food stall. A great many flies even had the audacity to land on the plates of food.
However, a number of customers ignored the insects and seemed to enjoy their meals and their coffee as most residents have grown accustomed to the situation.
"The smell and the noise produced by the hundreds of trucks passing by everyday causes us great suffering. We are happy that the dump will be closed," said Atikah, 38, a housewife, adding that many residents had suffered from health problems because of the dump.
At least 400 trucks come and go to the dump each day, according to an employee of the City Sanitation Office who is stationed at the site. He said that, beginning on Sunday at midnight, the dump would stop all operations - unless the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the closure to be delayed.
While most residents were overjoyed by the planned closure, thousands of self-employed recyclers who are dependent on the trash for their income have to find another dump if they do not want to lose their jobs.
"I make a living by collecting cardboard here. If the dump is closed. It's not a problem. We will move to the new site," Asep. 40, said.
The Bekasi administration decided to close the Bantar Gebang site following a recommendation from the council and a team which evaluated it, due to the environmental damage.
In compensation for the damage, Jakarta gave Bekasi Rp 2.5 billion this year. Last year, it received Rp 1.5 billion.
"It is nothing compared to the impact caused by the garbage," head of the team to evaluate the dump, Hasnul Kholid Pasaribu, said on Wednesday.
"Money would not solve the problem," he added.
In addition to the environmental damage, many residents living near the Bantar Gebang dump also suffer from respiratory problems, continual diarrhea, and various skin ailments.