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.