Residents challenge plan to reopen dump

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Bekasi residents were livid over a plan to possibly reopen Bantar Gebang dump, because they do not have faith in the City administration's willingness, integrity or ability to manage the waste disposal site effectively.

The Jakarta administration, and particularly the sanitation agency broke several promises to Bekasi in recent years. It was agreed upon that Jakarta would properly manage the trash, closely monitor environmental impacts and provide medical services to residents suffering the ill effects of close proximity to the site.

None of these promises were fulfilled, or apparently even attempted. As a result, the residents are extremely skeptical towards any of the administration's intentions.

"I would much prefer the site to be permanently closed. It brings nothing but trouble.. the Jakarta administration is inconsistent with their own promises," said Ahmad Irsan, who has been living in the Bantar Gebang area for around 10 years.

After a long dispute between Bekasi and the Jakarta administration, Bantar Gebang was closed on Monday, with nearby residents torching two garbage trucks and damaging several others that were attempting to dump their trash at the location.

On Wednesday, however, after a meeting between the two administrations at the ministry of home affairs, Bekasi apparently softened its stance and Jakarta may be able to resume dumping at the location upon certain conditions. It was not decided that the dump would be definitely reopened, however, negotiations were continuing with councillors from both administrations seen visiting the dump on Thursday.

The Bekasi administration had used the councillors' and residents' objection to the widespread environmental damages in their battle with Jakarta.

"The disease, the abhorrent odor and the polluted ground water... need I say more?," said one housewife, Nursanti, when asked about her concerns over the possibility of reopening Bantar Gebang.

Another resident, also vehemently objecting to the plan, argued that Jakarta would be incapable of properly managing the dump without overlooking all the environmental issues.

"Perhaps we (the residents) should stage a mass protest at the Bekasi council office to stress our objection to the reopening," said Mardani Cholid.

The 104-hectare dump site was opened in 1986, and was intended to be managed as an environmentally stable landfill system. Instead, thousands of cubic meters of garbage had been simply dumped and piled up in the open, causing all the problems.