Jakarta garbage crisis may last four-months

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".