Bantar Gebang to reopen soon: Sutiyoso
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite the absence of a concrete agreement with the Bekasi mayoralty, Governor Sutiyoso expressed optimism on Friday that Bantar Gebang dump would be reopened soon.
Members of Bekasi mayoralty legislative council (DPRD) were still holding a meeting late on Friday evening to decide whether or not Bantar Gebang dump would be reopened.
Meanwhile, tons of garbage has been steadily piling up uncollected throughout Jakarta, raising fears of cholera, dysentery as well as diarrhea outbreaks in the city.
Briefing the media after a series of meetings, with the Ministry of Home Affairs and House of Representatives Commission VIII, Sutiyoso said Bantar Gebang dump, which has been closed since Monday due to environmental concerns, would be reopened soon.
"Bantar Gebang dump will be reopened. If it's not tonight, it will be tomorrow," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.
Sutiyoso also promised to fulfill all conditions required by Bekasi authorities, including building a hospital and paying adequate compensation, should the 104-hectare dump be reopened.
Agusman Effendy, deputy chairman of House Commission VIII, which supervises environmental affairs, shared Sutiyoso's optimism, telling the media that Bantar Gebang dump would reopen in the next few hours.
Public relations officer of Bekasi mayoralty Cecep Sutanti announced that Bekasi council members were holding a meeting to decide whether they would stand by their earlier recommendation to close the dump or to revoke it.
"We are ready to reopen the garbage dump if council members revoke their earlier recommendation," Cecep told The Jakarta Post.
Last Thursday, House Commission VII, led by deputy House Speaker A.M. Fatwa, allegedly met with Bekasi officials to convince them that the garbage issue did not concern Jakarta's administration alone.
Speaking after a meeting with Ministry of Home Affairs officials, Bekasi DPRD Chairman Ismail Ibrahim hinted on Wednesday that the dump might be reopened, but refused to mention any specific time.
Bekasi seems to have weakened its position as the mayoralty had difficulty in disposing of its own waste. Before the dump's closure, the mayoralty had also dumped its trash at Bantar Gebang.
After the closure, the mayoralty dumped its trash at Bekasi regency dump site, which met objections by regency officials.
Jakarta declared "a trash emergency" following the closure of Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi on Monday. Scattered garbage has been strewn on roads everywhere since then and hundreds of garbage trucks loaded with trash remain with nowhere to go.
Meanwhile, Jakarta city administration signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding with Bangka regency in Bangka- Belitung province, just off South Sumatra, under which Jakarta would send garbage totaling 4,000 tons a day to the regency where the trash would be used to cover tin mines.
"If we could give the trash away for free, we would be glad," Sutiyoso said.
Jakarta produces 6,000 tons of trash a day, of which some 5,000 tons are dumped at Bantar Gebang Garbage dump. The remaining amount is left scattered on roads and in rivers.