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.