Jakarta garbage crisis may last four-months
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso called on residents of the capital to be tolerant of garbage that is likely to pile up in every corner of the city for another four months amid a lingering standoff between the Jakarta administration and Bekasi municipality over use of the 104-hectare Bantar Gebang dump.
"I hope Bekasi can settle its internal problems within four months at the outside," said Sutiyoso, adding that his administration would await a final decision from Bekasi on whether or not it would allow Jakarta to dump its trash at Bantar Gebang.
Jakarta has already started to dump its 6,000 tons of daily waste at alternative dumps located in the city. All waste is deposited in open dumps.
Sutiyoso played down fears that open dumps might damage the environment, saying, "this will not be for long. We have anticipated the problem; it's simply an emergency situation."
Jakarta administration spokesman Muhayat said "open dumping would be dangerous only if it were carried on for years, but it will pose no harm (to the environment) if it is done for a short time".
Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan blasted statements from Sutiyoso and Muhayat as an unscrupulous move that indicated the administration's blatant ignorance regarding environmental issues.
"I can't imagine what will happen to the city if waste is allowed to pile up, littering every corner of the city for four months," he said.
Tigor recalled the stink when Jakarta's waste was left uncollected in the capital's streets at the end of 2001.
At that time, Bekasi temporarily closed down Bantar Gebang for several weeks, arguing that Jakarta's waste had caused environmental damage and endangered public health.
"The waste crisis is simply a reflection of the administration's failure to manage its trash ... The office of the state minister of the environment must warn the city administration over its failure to manage the waste," Tigor said.
Jakarta and Bekasi have been in a tug-of-war over the use of Bantar Gebang following a facsimile from Bekasi deputy mayor Mochtar Mohamad, which said that as of Jan. 1 Bekasi municipality was taking over waste management at Bantar Gebang and would impose a fee on each ton of garbage dumped.
The fax seems to have angered Sutiyoso, who had signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 22 with the Bekasi mayor regarding a contract for extended use of the dump. The fax, dated Dec. 31, annulled the contract and at the same time proposed new conditions for Jakarta, including a Rp 85,000 (US$10) fee for each ton of garbage dumped by Jakarta.
Reacting to the fax, Sutiyoso closed down Bantar Gebang on Sunday, claiming that the dump, located in Ciketing, Sumur Batu and Cikiwul subdistricts, was owned by the Jakarta administration.
Sutiyoso said, however, that his administration was still hoping for a decision from Bekasi. He also encouraged would-be investors, who have lodged waste management proposals with the administration, to come forward and discuss their proposed projects.
"I have told Pak Suena (the newly installed assistant for the city secretary for development affairs) to choose investors who are genuinely willing to invest in waste management and have the money to realize their projects," he said.
Sutiyoso revealed that his administration might go ahead with the development of a waste dump in Bojong, Bogor regency, as an alternative dump for Jakarta in "the coming months".