City plans to repair Bantar Gebang dump

City plans to repair Bantar Gebang dump

JAKARTA (JP): City administration will work to improve the
waste management of the city's 118-hectare Bantar Gebang garbage
dump in Bekasi, Deputy Governor for Development Affairs
Budihardjo Sukmadi said on Wednesday.

He said measures would be taken to restore waste water
management at the garbage dump and lessen its impact on the
environment.

"We'll fix the waste water installation at the garbage dump,
which is at the moment not fully operational," Budihardjo told
reporters at City Hall after briefing city officials about the
environmental damage caused by the garbage dump.

People living in the surrounding Bantar Gebang area have
complained of thick smoke resulting from burning at the garbage
dump. They also said the garbage dump had polluted their water.

Budihardjo said the city administration would ask Bekasi
mayoralty to get involved in the garbage management.

"Bekasi mayoralty, whose residents send 700 cubic meters of
trash to the garbage dump every day, should help the city
administration accelerate the decomposition period of the waste
products by covering the area with soil," he said.

In the long term, he said the city administration would
develop a new garbage dump site in Ciangir subdistrict,
Tangerang.

"We have bought land in Ciangir, Tangerang, which will be
developed as the city's second garbage dump," Budihardjo said.

"The land is now under a feasibility study."

The Ciangir land is expected to reduce the burden on Bantar
Gebang, which currently receives about 21,000 cubic meters of
trash from Jakarta every day.

Budihardjo said the city administration would provide free
medical treatment for local residents who have suffered from
illness caused by pollution from the dump.

"We will also compensate the local residents for all losses
they have suffered," he said.

Head of the city sanitation agency Saksono Hoesodo confirmed
on Wednesday that environmental damage -- including land, water
and air pollution -- had occurred at the garbage dump and
surrounding areas.

"Instead of organizing regular free medical treatment, we have
recently set up a clinic which will provide free health treatment
to local residents," Saksono said. (jun)