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.