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.