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.