Residents hail new waste processor

Theresia Sufa, Bogor

Residents living in the vicinity of Galuga dump in Kampung Lalamping, Bogor regency, said the dump's new processing system had eliminated the environmental and health problems from unprocessed waste they had suffered four years ago.

"It's much better now ... no more annoying stench and flies, no more cases of piles of waste collapsing and burying a house," said Odah, 39.

The condition of the dump observed on Wednesday by The Jakarta Post was far different than in 2002, when the 9.5 hectare dump was filled with great mounds of garbage, and liquid from unprocessed waste seeped into and contaminated local wells.

Owned by the Bogor municipal administration, the dump is also used by the Bogor regental administration. The municipality pays Rp 7 million (US$786) in monthly fees to the regency for use of the land.

Every day, 117 garbage trucks haul some 1,300 tons of waste from the districts of Bogor, Leuwiliang, Ciomas, Darmaga, Ciawi and Puncak.

About 300 scavengers live around the dump and separate organic waste from inorganic waste for composting and resale as recyclables.

"I collect about 30 kilograms of plastic garbage every day, which I sell for Rp 10,000," scavenger Warniti, 35, told the Post.

According to the municipal dump supervisor, Yulman, the office of the State Minister for the Environment was involved in tidying up the dump, hiring consultants from Australia and Japan for the project.

"The project is not cheap ... now we're installing a processing system to ensure that the liquid from the garbage is safe enough to be dumped into the river," Yulman told the Post.

The Bogor sanitation agency had also built a water pump to provide clean water for nearby residents.

"We want Galuga dump to become the model of environmentally friendly waste management for other dumps in the country," Yulman added.