Scavengers uncertain of their future

Scavengers uncertain of their future

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Unlike the days when Bantar Gebang was bustling
with garbage trucks, Sutira, who has been a scavenger for four
years at the site, sat gloomily in her makeshift home on
Thursday.

Normally, she and her other scavenger friends would be at the
site around midday sorting through garbage that had just been
delivered by the trucks, looking for items that could be resold.

She was scavenging at the site earlier today to gather what
was left at the dump, which was closed on Monday.

"There's not much left, and it will be even less soon.
And then there'll be nothing more to sell," she said.

There are about 4,000 scavengers at Bantar Gebang who make
their living from the garbage delivered to the site every day.
Their normal routine involves sorting plastic, rubber, metal and
glass, and later selling the items to garbage buyers.

Sutira said that rubber could be sold for Rp 450 per kilogram,
while prices for metal and plastic ranged from Rp 600 to Rp 800.
Glass could be sold for Rp 800 per kilogram. She was able to make
Rp 60,000 a week.

Sutira said she hadn't yet decided what she would do next,
following the dump's closure on Monday.

"I make my living from garbage, so I think I will go to a new
dumping site. But we still don't know where the new site will
be," she explained.

The Jakarta administration has yet to decide on a new site for
dumping the 25,000 cubic meters of trash produced by the city
every day. Jakarta governor Sutiyoso has mentioned several
possible locations, but they are either not yet ready for use or
have been the subject of strong opposition from local residents.

"The place seems dead at the moment as no garbage is being
delivered. I'm not sure what I'll do next," she added.

Another scavenger said that, in the wake of residents'
protests at the site and the torching of two garbage trucks on
Monday, some of the garbage buyers had left the area. He was
uncertain, however, if they had simply left for the Lebaran
holidays or had moved permanently.

"If there's no more garbage in this area, what's the point of
staying here?," Imron said, "especially as there will be no one
here to buy the garbage."

Sukron, who has been buying items of garbage from the
scavengers since 1995, said that some of his fellow garbage
buyers had fled in fear following Monday's attacks.

He himself was considering relocating if no more garbage was
to be delivered to the site. However, he admitted that he would
prefer to remain at Bantar Gebang rather than having to move with
his family.

"I will move when they decide on the new garbage site. In the
meantime, I'll just stay here and make do with what's left," said
Sukron, who was once a scavenger himself at the previous garbage
site in Cakung, East Jakarta, before it was moved to Bantar
Gebang.

Sukron said he could earn at least Rp 600,000 per month from
his business.

"I hope they will find a place soon so I can decide what to do
next. If this situation drags on, perhaps I will have to take my
family to our hometown in Madura for a while until there is some
certainty," he said.