Three injured in clash over Bojong dump
Three injured in clash over Bojong dump
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor
Three residents were injured during a clash with police officers
during a rally opposing the installment of a waste processing
facility for Jakarta in Bojong subdistrict, Bogor regency.
Nuryati, 27, Cecep, 23, and Yanto, 22, suffered minor
lacerations and bruises on their heads, and were treated by their
families.
Bogor Police arrested Kambalin, Misar, Andi and Rohim at the
rally for further questioning, but provided no further
information.
Hundreds of residents, mostly housewives, stood in front of
the plot in Bojong allocated for Jakarta's new dump, trying to
block the trucks that had been carrying materials for the waste
processing facility since noon. The residents' rally was a
response the Bogor administration's approval for Jakarta to dump
its waste in the area.
"We opposed the dump in our subdistrict, as it will pollute
the environment. We will stay here until tomorrow," said Naih
Haryadi, 35, a prominent figure of the subdistrict.
Detectives from Bogor Police had asked Triasa Cahyo Putro,
secretary of the Bogor Society Care for the Environment
Communication Forum, to persuade the residents to disperse, but
they refused.
The situation became heated at 4:05 p.m. when residents tried
to block a truck delivering building materials at the entrance
gate, and police officers tried to beat back the residents with
their batons.
"The residents and police wrestled with each other, but we
were too weak and the truck got through. Police arrested some of
us," Naih said. "We don't even know what happen to Triasa."
The Bogor administration and PT Wira Gulfindo Sarana, which
was appointed by Jakarta to manage the waste processing, have
promised that the dump would use ball presses made using German
technology to minimize environmental damage.
Even so, the planned Bojong dump can only accommodate 1,500
tons of Jakarta's 6,000 tons of daily waste.
Bogor is to receive an annual compensation of Rp 1 billion
(US$117,647) from Jakarta for the land use.
The capital is facing a Dec. 31 deadline for the Bantar Gebang
dump in Bekasi, which will close on that date. Bekasi refused to
extend the dump contract, as Jakarta had damaged the environment
and endangered the people's health by its poor management.
Bekasi received a Rp 22 billion compensation after it closed
down the dump for several weeks at the end of 2001, also for
environmental reasons. The dump was only reopened after President
Megawati Soekarnoputri intervened.
Meanwhile, Bogor Police deputy chief Comr. Rusdi Hartono
claimed he had yet to receive reports on the residents' rally.
"I will find out," he said.