Bojong dump to open after April 5 election
Bojong dump to open after April 5 election
Theresia Sufa and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post,
Bogor/Tangerang
In a bid to avoid possible social unrest following the opening of
the Jakarta administration's dump in Kampung Rawajeler, Bojong
village, Klapanunggal district, Bogor, the dump operator has
delayed full operation until after the April 5 legislative
election.
A director of PT Wira Guna Sejahtera, Sofyan Hadi, said the
company, along with the local administration, was continuing to
try to calm down the residents who opposed the presence of the
dump, pending the opening.
"Although some of the residents accepted and showed their
support for the operation of Bojong dump, others are still easily
provoked ... We fear this issue will be misused for political
interests," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The initial date for opening the dump was set for the end of
February, but, according to Sofyan, it was canceled because not
all of the required facilities were yet installed.
"Construction of the dump was slow in the rainy season, but
now we have completed 80 percent of it," he added.
Since the idea of opening a dump in the area was floated late
last year, locals have showed strong resistance to it, fearing
the same kind of environmental pollution and health problems as
suffered by residents who live near Jakarta's Bantar Gebang dump,
Bekasi.
PT Wira has repeatedly stated to residents that the Bojong
dump will use bale press technology, a different approach to that
used at the Bantar Gebang dump, which employs a sanitary landfill
system.
Six villages lies close to the dump, including Bojong village,
Cipeucang and Situsari villages in Cileungsi subdistrict, as well
as Sukamaju, Singajaya and Singasari villages in Jonggol
subdistrict.
Separately, the Tangerang municipal administration announced
on Monday that it would open a new dump also in April in
Jatiwaringin village, Sukadiri district, to replace the existing
Rawa Kucing dump in Kedaung Wetan, Neglasari district.
Construction of the 10-hectare site commenced in 1999 but was
delayed for three years until Tangerang mayor Wahidin Halim
agreed with regent Ismet Iskandar to resume it last November.
Tangerang regency assistant for development affairs Istiarso
Soerjo revealed that, in the agreement, the municipal
administration had to pay Rp 50 million (US$5,882) annually to
the regency administration as compensation for the use of the
site as a dump.