No way to trash Jakarta's garbage problem
No way to trash Jakarta's garbage problem
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The garbage crisis at the end of 2001 is still so fresh in our
memories, when the Bekasi municipality administration and
residents closed the Bantar Gebang dump for weeks, leaving the
capital perplexed over how to handle its mounting, putrefying
rubbish.
The closure by the Bekasi administration was not a subjective
decision, and they argued that the mismanagement of the 104-
hectare dump, which has accommodated Jakarta's 6,000 daily tons
of garbage since 1986, had caused environmental damage and
endangered the health of residents.
Garbage piled up at every corner of the city after the
closure, inviting platoons of flies and filled the air with a
putrid odor.
The heated dispute between Jakarta and Bekasi over the dump
ended after President Megawati Soekarnoputri and State Minister
of the Environment Nabiel Makarim intervened.
Governor Sutiyoso then decided to dismiss the chief and deputy
chief of the Jakarta Sanitation Agency and paid a total of Rp 22
billion (US$2.59 million) in compensation to Bekasi.
Two years later, as the contract deadline of Dec. 31
approached, only one waste processing facility in Bojong village,
Bogor regency, with a capacity of 1,500 tons per day, was being
readied for use by January.
Bojong residents are firmly opposed to the new dump. Police
had to fire warning shots during a protest early December -- an
indication of the magnitude of their opposition. Jakarta's plan
to use advanced German technology in treating garbage to minimize
environmental damage did nothing to sway the opinion of residents
in the area around the planned dump.
Two other facilities in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta, -- whose
locals are also opposed to the dump -- and on Jl. Cakung
Cilincing, East Jakarta, will only be ready in June 2004,
officials said.
Observers had called on Jakarta to comply with all conditions
already agreed upon, including the installment of a processing
plant in Bantar Gebang, to avoid further environmental damage.
The garbage should be processed using a sanitary landfill
system. In reality, the garbage is simply dumped out into the
open to tower 15 meters high.
Many residents in the neighborhood have suffered from
respiratory problems, diarrhea and various skin ailments due to
the foul air and contaminated groundwater.
Jakarta has failed to regreen Bantar Gebang as stated in a
renewed agreement signed in early 2002. The capital also agreed
to build a pipeline to supply clean water for people in the
surrounding villages, but this has not been realized, either.
On Jan. 1, 2004, Bekasi and Jakarta signed an agreement that
allows the capital to dump its waste in Bantar Gebang, but waste
management will be handled by Bekasi.
However, only four days after the signing, Jakarta changed its
mind and withdrew from Bantar Gebang -- where it owns dumps in
the subdistricts of Ciketing, Sumur Batu and Cikiwul -- all
because the capital objected to Bekasi's waste treatment fee of
Rp 85,000 (US$10) per ton.
Bekasi said the figure was much lower than that proposed by an
expert at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of
Technology (BPPT).
A metropolis like Jakarta, which covers 60,000 hectares,
should have its own waste processing facilities. While the city
administration has signed nine memorandums of understanding with
private companies toward that goal, only two have been followed
through.
PT Wira Gulfindo Sarana is managing the Bojong facility, while
PT Interindo Global is now constructing a facility in Duri
Kosambi that will convert garbage into liquid fertilizer.
In another attempt to ease the crisis, Jakarta also provided
incinerators to its subdistrict dumps, but the program failed
because it did not significantly reduce the garbage. Officials
now argue that the currently idle incinerators did not match the
specifications in the original plan.
The question is, what can Jakartans do to ease the waste
crisis?
It is pertinent that each Jakarta household starts separating
organic and nonorganic waste, experts say. Data from the Jakarta
Sanitation Agency revealed that around 65 percent of daily waste
come from households and small markets, meaning that there is a
large proportion of organic waste.
Sri Bebassari, a BPPT waste expert and chairwoman of the
Indonesian Waste Forum, has repeatedly called on Jakartans to
start turning their organic waste into compost.
"Waste like vegetables and cooked rice should not be burned
because it will only create carbon monoxide, which is dangerous
to humans," she said.
She also called on residents to start minimizing domestic
waste by recycling or reusing them.
In the meantime, subdistrict officials must actively campaign
for the adoption of simple waste treatment methods such as
composting to turn organic waste into fertilizer.
Changing people's habits and encouraging the use of recycled
products will help ease garbage problems.
If all necessary measures in managing garbage at various
levels are taken, Jakartans will be able to handle its waste in a
more environmentally friendly way without dumping on neighboring
cities.
Jakarta garbage breakdown
No. Source Volume (m3) Percentage
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Households 14,602 58.0
2. Private markets 629 2.5
3. PD Pasar Jaya
(city-owned markets) 1,888 7.5
4. Industries 3,776 15.0
5. Public facilities 3,776 15.0
6 Rivers/waterways 505 2.0
-------------------------------------------------------
Total 25,176 100.0
Source: Jakarta Sanitation Agency
Waste management agreements (private companies)
No. Company Location(s) Status Capacity Notes
ton/day
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1. PT Wira Gulfindo Bojong, Bogor signed 1,500 ready Jan.
Sarana (WGS)
2. WGS Cacing, E. Jkt MOU 1,000 idle
3. PT Interindo D. Kosambi signed 1,000 ready June
Global
4. PT Tata Prima Nambo, Bogor MOU 1,500 idle
Alam
5. PT Bio Pupuk Marunda, N. Jkt MOU 350 idle
Indonesia Jaya
6. PT Dasa Prima Sukapura, E. Jkt MOU 500 idle
Lestari Unggul
7. PT ACME Corp. Marunda MOU 1,000 idle
8 PT Galuh Chandra Rawa Buaya, W. Jkt proposal 500 idle
Kirana
9. PT Karya Mitra Cakung, E. Jkt MOU 1,000 idle
Selaras
10. PT Bhineka P. Marunda MOU 6,000 idle
Marketindo
11. PT Sucaco Daan Mogot, W. Jkt proposal 1,200 idle
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Source: Jakarta Sanitation Agency