Public health fears as pile of garbage still uncollected

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The recent floods have left huge piles of garbage in many locations untransported, threatening public health and blocking the flow of water in rivers and floodgates across the city.

Due to the floods in a number of city markets and housing complexes as well as in roads leading to Bantar Gebang dump site, only 120 garbage trucks were able to operate to transport the trash during the last four days.

"Usually, some 200 trucks come to Bantar Gebang, but the last four days there were only 120 trucks per day," the head of the Bantar Gebang dump site, Zawawi. M. told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Each truck carries at least 20 cubic meters of garbage.

He explained that the cause of the disruption was the severe traffic jams and floods.

The city generates at least 25,000 cubic meters of garbage every day.

Several traditional markets have been besieged by piles of rotting garbage during the last four days, causing a stench and posing a threat to public health.

Literally mountains of garbage could be seen at the Kramat Jati wholesale market in East Jakarta, Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta, and Palmerah traditional market in West Jakarta.

According to Cees, a tomato wholesaler who has been trading at the Kramat Jati market for 14 years, the garbage which blocked the market's road, had not been collected for three days.

"Usually the garbage men come to collect the garbage every morning, but since three days ago there has been no sign of them", said a vendor at Palmerah market.

An estimated 3118 cubic meters of garbage resulting from flood debris has plugged the Manggarai floodgate in South Jakarta, disrupting water flow.

The huge volume of debris also contributed to the slow receding of water in many flooded locations around the city.

Sihar Simanjuntak, the field coordinator from the Department of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure, who is responsible for the smooth flow of water at Manggarai floodgate told the Post on Monday that the significant increase in garbage, ten times the amount on normal days, had disrupted water flow.

"We have been working 24 hours a day since three days ago just to clear the garbage from the gate that is blocking the water flow. When I first came here the garbage has stuffed the whole tunnel gate", he said.

Sihar added that the volume of the garbage had reached 3118 cubic meters. His men had only been able to clear some 1118 cubic meters of garbage, comprising tree trunks, debris from riverbank shanties, furniture, and various kinds of plastics.

Currently, the Department of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure along with the Department of Public Works have deployed six excavation tractors, 18 garbage trucks and 31 men.

On normal days, the Manggarai floodgate only needs two excavation tractors to remove 400 cubic meters of garbage.

Due to the significant garbage volume, Sihar had to close a 20-meter section of Jl. Tambak that passes the floodgate, to allow the garbage trucks to transport the garbage directly to Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, West Java.

Sihar explained that he needed at least another week to clear the blocked floodgate, which would allow the floodwaters in the city to recede.

According to Sihar, the operation is estimated to cost the government about Rp 125 million per week.

Riwud Padmadi, the floodgate operator, said that he had contacted Department of Public Works a week ago to clear the blocked floodgate, as the garbage continued to pile up.

"I told them to come a week ago, but they just came three days ago. Anyway, better late than never", he said.

Riwud also said that the garbage had blocked the river, making the flooded areas in Jakarta slow to dry.