Compensation promised, garbage dump stays open
Compensation promised, garbage dump stays open
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration has promised to pay Bekasi
municipality Rp 8.75 billion (US$850,000) a year in compensation
after the later agreed to allow Jakarta to keep dumping its
garbage at Bekasi's Bantar Gebang dump until 2003.
In order to win the hearts and minds of the Bantar Gebang
residents, who had earlier rejected the reopening of the dump,
the Jakarta administration has pulled out all the stops,
including showering the residents with gifts, including 30 goats.
"We will pay compensation that is 3.5 times bigger than last
year," Governor Sutiyoso told residents during his visit to the
dump on Friday.
Last year, the city administration paid compensation of Rp 2.5
billion to Bekasi municipality before the later closed the dump
on Dec. 10 due to continued environmental damage.
The municipality reopened the dump a week later after Jakarta
promised to repair the damage and to pay more compensation.
Jakarta and Bekasi are currently discussing revised terms that
are to be included in a new agreement scheduled to be signed on
Jan. 31.
Bekasi Mayor Nonon Sonthanie said the compensation and other
requirements were still being discussed with the municipality's
councillors.
"We hope we can sign the new agreement by the end of this
month," Nonon told reporters at the dump site.
Besides the Rp 8.75 billion compensation payment, Jakarta will
also meet Bekasi's earlier demands, including the development of
a hospital, local piped water supply and roads.
"Ninety percent of local residents' demands will be
accommodated," Sutiyoso said in Ciketing village, Bekasi.
The Bantar Gebang dump is located in an area that encompasses
Ciketing, Cikiwul and Sumur Batu villages.
Local residents had earlier demanded the construction of roads
and a mosque in the area. The Bantar Gebang district chief
reportedly asked for an official car.
On Friday, Sutiyoso officially handed over 30 goats, three
tons of rice, several sewing machines, 45 packages of sarongs and
koko Muslim clothes and hats, medicines, three guitars, three
rebana traditional drums and 15 soccer balls.
The probable survival of the 104-hectare Bantar Gebang dump
has left Sutiyoso relieved, so the refusal by Jakarta councillors
to approve funding for the planned Marunda dump is no longer such
a disaster for him.
"Yes, if the council has rejected it, we can accept that," he
said shortly.