Tangerang waste really stinks

JAKARTA (JP): The stench of piled-up garbage at the Malabar market on Jl. Karet Raya in Tangerang, West Java, has forced public transportation drivers to avoid the road.

"Many passengers protest if we pass the road because of the bad smell," a minivan driver was quoted by Antara as saying on Friday.

The mound of uncollected garbage blocked part of the road. Worse, it really stunk. In the past two days, the smell became so unbearable that the drivers had to take another route.

Tangerang mayor Moch. Thamrin commented that the uncollected garbage in the town was due to the lack of trucks and personnel. He said there were 70 trucks, but only 50 of them were in a good enough condition to be operated. He said that 200 trucks are needed to transport all of the garbage.

A total of 2,102 cubic meters of garbage is transported daily from various parts of the town to the garbage dump sites in Rawa Kucing, Neglasari and Mauk. (sim)