Jakarta wallows in garbage despite official promises

Jakarta wallows in garbage despite official promises

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Garbage was overflowing in several markets in the city on Monday
even though officials had said alternative dumps had been
provided to replace the main dump in Bekasi municipality.

The stench was almost overpowering to the rear of Kramat Jati
market in East Jakarta where all the garbage is collected before
being transported to the dump.

"It was picked up yesterday, but only one truck came. There's
still a lot left as before yesterday it had not been collected
since the New Year," said Muh, 35, who cleans up the garbage in
the market.

City Hall spokesperson Muhayat has said that four new dumps
had been established in Cakung, East Jakarta, Duri Kosambi in
West Jakarta, and Rorotan and Cacing, both in North Jakarta. They
are intended to replace the Bantar Gebang dump after Governor
Sutiyoso decided to close it. He said the Bekasi municipality was
extorting Jakarta by demanding more and more money in return for
the use of the dump.

The authorities in Bekasi have said that Jakarta has failed to
live up to its promises to improve the environment around the
dump. Locals have also protested, preventing trucks from reaching
the dump before Sutiyoso decided to close it last week.

The governor said on Monday that the heavy equipment from the
Bekasi dump had been moved to the new dumps.

Nevertheless, Kramat Jati garbage man Muh said that normally
two trucks would come to pick up the garbage -- one at 9 a.m. and
one at 12 midday.

The mounting garbage "is starting to give me a headache," he
complained.

At Palmerah market in Central Jakarta, garbage had been piling
up for four days, said Maman, a sanitation worker.

"We informed the sanitation agency this morning, but they told
us to wait for a truck from Tanah Abang subdistrict," Maman said.

At Senen market, Central Jakarta, a mountain of garbage is
rising near one of the entrances even though it gets picked up
daily.

"A truck usually comes around dusk, but it's still piling up
because the truck never takes away all of the garbage," said
Bolot, 20, a coconut seller near the market.

However, there was some relief in Kebayoran Lama market when
five trucks came to pick up the garbage on Sunday.

"They had to work from 3 p.m to 10 p.m. to get all the trash
to the dump. The trash had not been picked up for three days,"
said Silam, a sanitation worker.