Opposition mounts against Jakarta dumps

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.