Council opposes plan to build Marunda dump

Council opposes plan to build Marunda dump

Bambang Nurbianto and Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The City Council has stated that it would not approve the city
administration's plan to construct a garbage dump in Marunda in
North Jakarta due to mounting protests from local residents.

City Council Deputy Chairman Djafar Badjeber said on Tuesday
that the council would express its formal opposition during their
budget meeting in Puncak, West Java, on Wednesday.

Djafar made the statement when meeting 500 representatives of
Marunda who held a demonstration in front of the council building
to protest over the proposed construction of the 71-hectare
garbage dump in Marunda.

In the proposed 2002 budget, the Jakarta administration has
allocated some Rp 18.25 billion to construct the dump site in
Marunda, North Jakarta. The plan has enraged Marunda residents.
They said that the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which owns the
land, had not compensated a number of residents who own some of
the land.

The protesters also expressed their disappointment because the
councillors did not visit the planned dump on Jan. 12 as they had
earlier promised to residents. The councillors did not give any
explanation as to why they canceled their visit.

Deputy chairman of City Council Commission D, which is
responsible for sanitation and garbage collection, Ali Imron
Husein reaffirmed Djafar's statement that the commission would
reject the government's proposal.

"Since the beginning, Commission D has rejected the proposal
to build the dump in Marunda. In this case we are of the same
opinion (as local residents)," said Ali.

The city administration planned to build the Marunda dump due
to uncertainty that the 104-hectare dump in Bantar Gebang would
remain open until the end of this year.

Bekasi mayoralty decided to close the dump last Dec. 10 as it
claimed the city administration had failed to prevent
environmental damage at the dump site and surrounding area. But a
week later, after intervention from the home ministry and the
House of Representatives, the mayoralty agreed to reopen it until
Jan. 31 pending compliance by the city administration with new
terms, in a new memorandum of understanding. These include the
development of a medical clinic and a clean water pipeline in the
area.

If the city does not agree to the terms in the new MOU then
Bekasi will close the dump, leaving the city with no option but
to seek other alternatives. None of the alternative sites, which
include Marunda, Tegal Alur in West Jakarta, Ciangir in
Tangerang, and Bangka island, have been secured as dump sites for
the city's trash of 25,000 cubic meters per day.

Deputy chairman of the Jakarta Sanitation Agency Rama Boedhi
said on Tuesday the administration would go ahead with the plan
to construct the Marunda dump, but stressed that it would not be
the only garbage dump for the city.

He said the city would also continue with its plan to build a
dump site in Ciangir in Tangerang and Tegal Alur in West Jakarta,
and also study the possibility of dumping its trash on Bangka
island.

"Don't consider Marunda as the only garbage dump," he said.
Commenting on the opposition to construct the dump in Marunda,
Rama admitted that it was due to lack of promotion of the idea
among the people living near the location.

He also expressed confidence that the Jakarta administration
would be able to sign a new MOU with the Bekasi mayoralty before
the Jan. 31 deadline enabling it to continue using Bantar Gebang
dump until 2003.