Jakarta to start dumping garbage in Bojong in January
Jakarta to start dumping garbage in Bojong in January
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor
Strong opposition from locals did not deter the Bogor regency administration from allocating land in Bojong subdistrict to Jakarta to use as a dump starting January.
"We have studied all aspects of the dump from the spatial plan to the Environmental Impact Analysis and the technology to be used for processing the waste," administration spokesman Mohammad Sjahuri said on Monday.
The news is a relief for Jakarta, which has been facing the fast-approaching Dec. 31 contract termination date for Bantar Gebang dump, Bekasi municipality, without an alternative site for the capital's garbage.
The Bekasi administration has declined to extend the contract, pointing out that the dump had caused environmental damage and endangered the people's health.
The Bojong dump, however, can only accommodate around 1,500 tons of the capital's 6,000 tons of daily waste.
Sofyan Hadi Wijaya, director of PT Wira Guna Sejahtera, a subsidiary of PT Wira Gulfindo Sarana, could not say when the waste processing facility would be installed in Bojong.
PT Wira Gulfindo Sarana has been appointed by Jakarta to manage the waste processing, and has been vocal about its plan to use ball presses made using German technology to process Jakarta's waste.
Meanwhile, the situation in Bojong was heated after residents heard of the Bogor administration's approval.
"The residents still oppose the plan to allow Jakarta to dump its waste in our neighborhood," said Naih, a resident.
Early this month, police fired warning shots during a protest held by residents against the plan to turn Bojong into a dump.
Sofyan has stressed that the use of the ball press technology would minimize environmental damage. So far, Rp 85 billion (US$10 million) has been invested in the waste-processing machine
"We won't let the waste pile up. All waste will be processed every day," he claimed.
Each day, between 60 and 80 trucks will carry around 27 tons per trip to the Bojong dump.
Sjahuri also argued that opening the Bojong dump would provide jobs for up to 900 locals.
"They can work as waste sorters and resell things that cannot be recycled. The company will also set up a cooperative unit for the sorters," he said.
Secretary of Bogor's economy and development division head Syarifah Sofiah said the administration would receive an annual compensation of Rp 1 billion from Jakarta.
At the end of 2001, Jakarta faced a waste crisis after Bekasi closed Bantar Gebang for several weeks because of the environmental damage. The dispute ended only after President Megawati Soekarnoputri intervened, and Jakarta paid Rp 22 billion in compensation to Bekasi.