Tangerang rejects plan for dump

Tangerang rejects plan for dump

TANGERANG (JP): The local administration made clear on
Saturday its opposition to Jakarta's plan to build a garbage dump
in Ciangir village here to replace the dump in Bantar Gebang,
Bekasi.

"We simply do not want Ciangir to turn into the Bantar Gebang
garbage dump.

"We just do not want all the trouble caused by the garbage
from Jakarta," Tangerang regency administration secretary Ismet
Iskandar said.

Bekasi is located east of Jakarta, while Tangerang is located
to the west.

Fearing the same type of environmental damage and pollution
caused by the Bantar Gebang dump, Tangerang residents and
councilors have been vocal in their opposition to Jakarta's plan
to build a dump in Ciangir.

The Jakarta administration reportedly has secured 80 of the
100 hectares needed for the dump in Ciangir, which is located in
the district of Legok. Fifteen hectares of this land would serve
as the entrance road and connecting roads for the dump.

Ismet, however, said the Jakarta municipality could not simply
force its plan through and turn the land into a garbage dump
without the permission of the authorities and residents of
Tangerang.

"It's the Tangerang administration, not Jakarta, which has
authority over the site," he said.

Ismet suggested Jakarta reconsider its plan and make other use
of the land it had already purchased for the dump.

"It's up to them (Jakarta authorities) to decide. They may
develop the area into a housing complex or sell it to prospective
investors.

"But don't turn the site into a garbage dump," he said.

"I think it's inappropriate for Tangerang to be Jakarta's
garbage den, especially when the city (Tangerang) is developing
fast," he added.

Ismet said his office had yet to receive the complete proposal
on the garbage dump from the Jakarta administration.

Rice fields

The site proposed as the new dump for tons of trash from
Jakarta is currently home to numerous rice fields.

Cimaceri River, which also runs through the site, is the main
source of water for Tangerang's tap water company.

The Jakarta Sanitation Agency, which is in charge of the
proposal, reportedly bought the land from locals at between Rp
2,500 (35 US cents) and Rp 3,000 per square meter.

Ciangir community leader Halimi said locals were forced to
sell their land cheaply because the dump proposal was classified
as a government project for the benefit of the public.

"The residents had no choice but to agree to the offer,"
Halimi, 50, said, adding that the land was still being cultivated
by local residents.

Aware of the Tangerang administration's opposition to the
planned dump, former land owners have said they will demand
higher compensation from the Jakarta administration if it uses
the land for purposes other than the dump.

"If we knew the land would be used for other projects, such as
real estate development, we would not have sold it that cheap,"
local resident Syarif said.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta administration indicated it was
considering canceling the planned construction of the garbage
dump in Ciangir after questions were raised about the viability
of the plan.

Governor Sutiyoso said last September "the opening of a new
garbage dump will only move the same problems from Bekasi to
Tangerang".

The Jakarta administration has decided to allocate Rp 10
billion for the renovation of the Bantar Gebang dump, which was
designed to hold Jakarta's 23,000 cubic meters of garbage per day
until 2004. (41/edt)