Talks on garbage dump in deadlock

Talks on garbage dump in deadlock

Rendi A. Witular

Conflict between Jakarta and Bekasi over the latter's plan to
close the city's garbage dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, continued
on Monday as talks at the home ministry ended in another deadlock
on Sunday.

In last minute talks on Sunday afternoon, Jakarta Governor
Sutiyoso and Bekasi Mayor Nonon Sonthanie met for two hours at
the ministry office without coming to an agreement.

Bekasi has decided to close Bantar Gebang on Monday due to
environmental damage to the area, and not in 2003 as earlier
agreed.

City administration spokesman Muhayat told The Jakarta Post
after the meeting that Bekasi threatened to deploy public order
officers to block garbage trucks if they still delivered the
garbage to Bantar Gebang on Monday.

"If they force us to back off, then we will dump the garbage
at other garbage sites, located in Tegal Alur and Kamal Muara,
both in West Jakarta, Cacing Area in North Jakarta, and Pulo
Gebang in East Jakarta", said Muhayat.

Governor Sutiyoso emerged from Sunday's meeting, clearly
displeased, explaining that the immediate closure of the dump was
impossible.

"Not a single person nor institution, including me, could
solve this problem immediately. However, tomorrow I will talk to
Bekasi councillors," said Sutiyoso as he hurriedly got into his
car.

He insisted that the closure should be done in phases.

According to Sutiyoso, Bekasi had indicated that they agreed
to postpone the closure.

Sonthanie gave a different response, saying, just wait and see
what will happen tomorrow."

The meeting was hosted by home ministry secretary-general Siti
Nurbaya, inspector general Sarundayang and director general for
general administration Untarto Sindung. Another fruitless meeting
was held on Saturday without the presence of the governor.

Jakarta produces more than 25,000 cubic meters or 6,000 tons
of household garbage daily, but only 23,000 cubic meters is
picked up by garbage trucks, mostly to be transported to Bantar
Gebang, which has been used since 1986. The rest is thrown on the
street or dumped into rivers.

The main problem facing Jakarta is actually not the conflict
with Bekasi, but failure to manage the waste properly and lack of
transparency in the spending of the budget. The city allocated Rp
90 billion to handle garbage disposal this year.

Instead of using incinerators or processing the garbage into
fertilizer, Jakarta prefers to use the landfill system, which
requires a huge piece of land. The problem has worsened as the
city has not correctly implemented the landfill system and just
dumps the garbage in the open, causing environmental damage.

Sutiyoso announced last week that the head of the Jakarta
Sanitation Agency Saksono Soehodo would be fired for his
incompetence in managing the waste.