Opposition mounts against Jakarta dumps
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bogor/Tangerang
Producing at least 6,500 tons of garbage daily, Jakarta continues to face a crisis in its waste disposal amid increasing opposition against several planned city dumps and waste treatment facilities.
Fresh opposition arose on Thursday, when about 300 Klapanunggal villagers of Bojong district, West Java, staged a rally at City Hall to oppose the construction of a 35-hectare waste treatment facility in the area.
"We will burn any garbage trucks that insist on dumping the waste here," said protester Jajang.
The villagers opposed the planned facility, which they feared would have an adverse impact on their health.
The facility will border seven hamlets: Bojong, Cipaucang, Situsari, Suka Maju, Singa Jaya and Mampir.
The Bojong waste treatment facility is expected to process some 2,000 tons of garbage a day.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Karawang administration expressed its objection to the development of a 70-hectare dump in Rengasdengklok, West Java, to accommodate 1,500 tons of the capital's garbage daily.
Assistant to Jakarta secretary for development affairs IGKG Suena said Karawang had told developer PT Cikelor Mandiri, who is in charge of the project, to conduct another environmental impact analysis.
The existing analysis does not support the development of the dump, because it is planned for a residential area.
Jakarta has sought alternative dumps and waste treatment facilities to alleviate its dependence on Bekasi's Bantar Gebang dump, following opposition from residents and complaints over its poor management and ensuing environmental damage from the Bekasi administration.
Early this year, Jakarta was forced to halt Bantar Gebang operations and disposed its garbage at a temporary dump in Cilincing, North Jakarta.
However, seeping liquid waste from the dump contaminated local fish farms, and Jakarta was required to pay compensation to fish farmers.
Governor Sutiyoso insisted the administration would go on with the planned dumps and waste treatment facilities.
"If the residents set our trucks on fire, we will ask the police to arrest them all," Sutiyoso said on Thursday.
The Bojong facility developer, PT Wira Guna Sejahtera, confirmed that operations would begin in mid-August.
"We have prepared all equipment and can start the facility's operations any time," said Wira Guna president director Sofyan Hadi Wijaya.
Aside from Jakarta, the Tangerang regental administration is also facing public resistance toward its plan to build a waste treatment facility at the abandoned Pondok Cabe bus terminal, Pamulang district, which is surrounded by residential areas.
"They rejected the plan, although they don't even know what the facility would be like," head of Tangerang sanitation and parks Hermansyah said, underlining that the facility would not pollute the area.
"We are ready for an initial trial run. If it proves to disturb residents, we will shut it down," he added.
Gunawan, who lives in the area, said the administration was violating its own 1983 master plan, under which the affected land was specifically allocated for housing developments and certain home industries.
"Moreover, the agency hasn't obtained any permits from the environmental management agency," he said.