Tangerang gives Jakarta dump site

Tangerang gives Jakarta dump site

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

The Tangerang administration is preparing 200 hectares of vacant
land in four villages in Sepatan district to be used as dumps for
some of Jakarta's garbage, which reaches 6,000 tons per day.

An official of the Tangerang Regional Development Planning
Agency (Bappeda), Doddy Hermiyono, said on Friday that the chiefs
of Pisangan Jaya, Sarakan, Kayu Agung, and Kayu Bongkok villages
claimed that their residents had agreed to the plan.

The vacant land was previously used by illegal sand miners,
who left huge pits there due to their activities. "Residents want
the land to be utilized," said Naryo, head of Kayu Bongkok
village.

According to Naryo, non-governmental organization People's
Movement for Environmental and Human Mandate Care (Gema Palu) was
the initiator of the plan.

Gema Palu chairman Haris Mansyur said a preliminary
feasibility study had been conducted by staff members of the
Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

Nevertheless, an official of the Tangerang Sanitary Agency,
Trimanto, said that more advanced studies needed to be conducted
on garbage-handling, traffic to the sites, and the necessary
precautions to limit its negative impact.

"The management of the dumps and the Jakarta administration
must be consistent in using proper garbage-processing
technology," he said. "The case of Bantar Gebang should not be
repeated in Tangerang."

Bantar Gebang in Bekasi, West Java, is the current location of
the capital's main dump. In January, the 104-hectare site closed
down after its contract expired and nearby residents protested
against its environmental impact.

The dump, which uses a landfill system, was reopened on Jan.
27, following a new agreement between the Jakarta and Bekasi
administrations. Residents agreed to allow garbage trucks to
enter the site after Bekasi administration promised to pay Rp
50,000 (US$5.55) per month to every family in the area.

Jakarta has been preparing an alternative dump in Bojong
village, Bogor regency, despite sharp criticism from locals. The
dump will use bale-press technology to minimize environmental
damage and accommodate up to 2,000 tons of waste per day.

Operation of the Bojong dump was initially scheduled for after
the general election on April 5, however the dump is not open
yet.