Sutiyoso denies agreement to close Bekasi rubbish dump
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration moved one step backward in its efforts to settle the case related to the planned closure of the city's waste dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, as Governor Sutiyoso stated on Monday that it should not be closed down before 2003.
His statement was made only three days after head of the City Sanitary Agency Saksono Soehodo announced that Jakarta could accept the Bekasi council recommendation to close the dump. But Saksono said the administration would need some time to solve technical and social problems before closing the 104-hectare dump.
Sutiyoso claimed that the meeting between his officials and Bekasi officials on Friday had yet to clearly find a solution that both administrations could agree upon.
"We still want the dump to be closed in 2003 in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding," he said.
He reiterated his threat that the administration would take legal action if Bekasi arbitrarily closed the dump, but he quickly added: "That is the last resort."
Jakarta began using the disposal site in 1986, and was authorized to use it until 2004. However, due to the environmental damage, in 1999, Bekasi renegotiated the agreement by signing an MOU, which stated that Jakarta was only allowed to use the dump until 2003 and that Jakarta should pay Rp 1 billion per year in compensation to the Bekasi administration.
Jakarta reportedly paid Rp 4 billion since 1999.
The environmental damage had apparently worsened, and the people living near the dump site complained that they were suffering various diseases, reportedly related to the pollution and toxic contaminants. As a result the Bekasi councillors then recommended to the Bekasi administration to close down the dump site by the end of 2001.
Sutiyoso on Monday also urged the House of Representatives to help the city solve the problem with Bekasi.
"We ask the House for help since it's a national problem. The demand for closure came from politicians in the council, so we hope the House can mediate," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.
He added that he had contacted House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa who is also deputy chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), to help find a solution.
He said that the Bekasi and Jakarta authorities and their councils, should discuss the future of the garbage dump together with the House as a mediator.
"It's our problem. So let's discuss it together," the governor said.
Separately, city councillor Tjuk Sudono from PAN claimed that Sutiyoso's strategy to approach Fatwa, who is a former city official under Governor Ali Sadikin, would be useless if it aimed to put pressure on Bekasi's councillors to revoke their recommendation.
"The recommendation is the council's decision. It's not made by PAN councillors in Bekasi," Tjuk, who is also a member of council Commission D for development affairs, said.
He suggested that an independent team be established to asses the dump situation with the House as a mediator.
Jakarta produces 25,000 cubic meters of trash a day. Only 22,000 cubic meters of the garbage is transported to the dump site while the remaining 3,000 is scattered among city roads and waterways.