Market operator dumps trash problem on sanitation agency
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
City-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya will no longer deal with the garbage from 151 traditional markets across the city, handing the dirty work to the already overloaded Jakarta Sanitation Agency.
This means, an additional 300 tons or 1,200 cubic meters of garbage would be added to the 6,000 tons or 25,000 cubic meters of garbage that the sanitation agency handles on a daily basis.
PD Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Sunirman said the handover of waste management to the sanitation agency was part of efforts to improve efficiency.
"The plan to hand over the waste management has been approved by Vice Governor Fauzi Bowo," he said on the sidelines of a hearing with the City Council's Commission B for economic affairs on Thursday.
Prabowo said the company allocated some Rp 18 million (US$2.14 million) annually for garbage management.
The company deploys 60 trucks to collect the garbage and transport it to the city's Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi.
He did not mention exactly when the handover would take place, but said that the agreement would comprise both the annual funds and the trucks.
The sanitation agency has been at a loss as to how to deal with the city's garbage. It has been criticized for lagging behind schedule in picking up garbage and adding to the problems that the city faces.
Garbage management is an acute problem in Jakarta as the administration has not provided a satisfactory waste-management system.
The open dump at Bantar Gebang has become a source of dispute between Jakarta and Bekasi administrations as it has polluted the surrounding neighborhoods, where residents allegedly suffer from skin diseases and respiratory problems.
The latest dispute surfaced early this year when Governor Sutiyoso temporarily put a stop to Jakarta's use of Bantar Gebang dump due to his anger over the high tipping fee demanded by Bekasi residents.
Consequently, Jakarta used Cilincing dump in North Jakarta. However, within two months of use, it was abruptly closed as the dumping had caused environmental problems in the vicinity.