Public's role in garbage management sought

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Residents here will soon have to start separating organic waste from non-organic trash, otherwise, garbage collectors from the city sanitation agency will not pick it up.

The sanction, which is scheduled to be imposed starting early next year, is sought by the city administration in an attempt to force people to help manage their own garbage.

Before implementing the sanctions, according to the city administration spokesman, Muhayat, the administration will conduct a campaign among the people to manage household garbage before dumping it.

"Without punishment, people will ignore the campaign," he told The Jakarta Post, asserting that the agency had set up the campaign for its 2002 agenda.

He believed the method would be beneficial not only for the waste processing in a dump site, but also to recyclers as they could sort waste easier.

The administration was scheduled to conduct the campaign with assistance from several non-governmental environment organizations.

Public participation in the waste management is indeed essential, and has been done by many other countries for a long time.

However, the city administration, without a proper concept to manage the garbage, never took it seriously, until it was overwhelmed by the garbage problems following the closure of the Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, West Java, on Dec. 10, due to environmental problems.

A few days later, with the persuasion of the Home Affairs Ministry, the Bekasi mayoralty agreed to reopen it under several conditions, including the establishment of a hospital near the site. Otherwise, it will be closed again on Feb.1, 2002.

The panicked city administration has looked into a number of alternative dump sites, the opening of new sites, the purchase of incinerators and the processing of the garbage into compost and fertilizers. It also is seeking help from nearby administrations and private companies.

Even the State Minister of Environment Nabiel Makarim expressed his concern about the garbage issue, and called for public participation as well.

After visiting the Bantar Gebang site on Thursday, he met Sutiyoso on Friday.

During their meeting, Nabiel ordered Sutiyoso to clean up all untransported garbage, which was still piled high in several areas of the city and attracting all manner of vermin and disease.

He also urged the city administration and the Bekasi mayoralty to make peace as it had made residents in Jakarta and Bekasi suffer.

Nabiel revealed that the closure of Bantar Gebang was not merely an implementation problem but was also ridden with political motives. He refused to elaborate, but told the people not to vote for political parties which fail to manage garbage problems.

The Bantar Gebang closure has also led to widespread speculation of massive corruption in the city sanitation agency and the accusation that the Bekasi councillors issued a recommendation for the closure of the dump after they failed to extort certain officials at the city administration.

Nabiel also announced that the government will hold next year a competition among cities around the country for the Adipura cup, which will be awarded to the cleanest and most beautiful city in Indonesia.

The Adipura competition was suspended in 1997 because of allegations of dirty politics, following public criticism that it was prone to manipulation. However, Nabiel brushed aside the rumors.

"The competition is still good enough to encourage administrations to manage the sanitation in their towns," he insisted.