Ciputat people up to their ankles in trash

Ciputat people up to their ankles in trash

TANGERANG (JP): Residents of the Ciputat district lack sufficient garbage dumps and have resorted to throwing their garbage on the street.

The road parallel to the market, Jl. Dewi Sartika, is littered with garbage on one side of the road. The official dump site is full and officials admit that there are too few disposal sites.

Ciputat District Chief Wahidin Halim said the regency has designated a plot in Serpong for the trash of Ciputat. However, residents there have protested against further use of the plot.

In the meantime, there is no other alternative.

"The plot designated as the final dump site in Legok, 16 kilometers south of Ciputat, is not ready yet," said Wahidin.

Passersby are increasingly exposed to the stench of the garbage on the streets, which is attracting swarms of flies everyday.

The trash is worsening the surroundings already marked by congestion, potholes, chaotic traffic and muddy streets, none of which have signs against littering.

Wahidin said he and his officials have witnessed people on foot or in cars throwing trash on the roadside. "It is not only local traders and residents from the Ciputat district, but people from other districts like Pamulang dump their garbage here," he said.

"Not all housing areas manage their garbage well and they have resorted to throwing trash on the road," he said.

Wahidin also said the district office regularly deploys three trucks a day to pick up the garbage, far from the number necessary.

He said the garbage problem is likely to get worse before it gets better. We're going to need as many as 12 trucks to pick up the 48 cubic meters of trash that pile up every day in and around the market, he said.

"We have forwarded our request for more trucks to the regency," he said, adding that the district's three trucks can only make two trips a day to the dump site in Serpong because of the bad traffic and steep roads that cause the trucks problems.

Abdul Latief, the district head in charge of public services including sanitation, admitted that his office is struggling to cope with the situation.

He said some of the 2,600 traders even pay more than the official sanitation fee of Rp 200 (US 8 cents) to Rp 1,000 per day to have the garbage removed. Others, however, don't pay at all, he said.

"Some traders just vanish after operating in the evening to avoid paying the sanitation fee in the morning," said Abdul.

In the end, the district collects only Rp 260,000 per day, from which it must pay wages and meals for 40 employees and gas for three trucks. Daily operational fees generally amount to Rp 275,000.

"We can't impose higher fees as that would violate rules," said Wahidin.

The officials also blame the volume of the trash on outside traders. Most of the 2,600 market and street traders have come after being driven out of South and East Jakarta by local officials, Wahidin said.

"We can't drive them away because there's no where for them to go." (anr)