Residents living near Bekasi dump struggle with respiratory disease

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/10/2006 12:04 PM  |  Jakarta

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Bekasi

Water and air pollution continue to take their toll on people living near Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, with respiratory disease the main health complaint of residents.

The Bekasi Health Agency said that while the number of cases of respiratory disease did not increase in 2005, it continued to be the most prevalent infectious disease among Bantar Gebang residents.

There were 15,296 cases of respiratory disease in 2005, compared to 3,782 cases of gastritis and 2,710 cases of diarrhea.

Cases of respiratory disease slightly decreased from the 15,318 reported in 2004.

Most of those affected live in close proximity to the dump, such as in the villages of Sumur Batu, Ciketing Udik and Cikiwul.

Bantar Gebang community health planning unit head Lina said the number of people suffering from infectious diseases was far higher near the dump than in other areas of Bekasi.

""I believe this is caused by pollution from the dump. However, we have not issued an official statement on the matter,"" she said. ""There must be more research.""

Lina said bad waste management could be to blame for the high incidence of infectious disease in the area. ""Liquid waste seeps from the dump into the river, polluting the water,"" she said.

Local paddy fields irrigated with water from the river have also been affected. ""The soil is not as fertile as it used to be because of the polluted water.""

The horrible smell in villages near the dump is also a sign of the heavy pollution, she added. ""Local health officials can only provide residents with information (on pollution),"" she said.

Students and teachers at SDN 2 elementary school in Sumur Batu village must deal with the smell every day. ""Students often become ill because of the stench, not to mention the yellowish water that they have to use,"" said Muhartati, a teacher at the school.

Examinations of students at nearby schools have found that many students show signs of lung infections.

Bekasi Mayor Akhmad Zurfakih acknowledged that improper waste management could be to blame for the pollution.

""If everything was run according to standard procedures, it would be OK,"" he said.

Bantar Gebang dump has been managed by the Bekasi municipal administration since 2004, when the municipality refused to extend a deal allowing the Jakarta administration to run the facility.

Since taking over the management, the local administration has added a compost facility to the dump to provide extra income for locals. However, residents say they have not gained financially from the compost.

The 108-hectare Bantar Gebang has long been Jakarta's main dump site for the 6,000 tons of garbage the city produces daily.

Bekasi and Jakarta have been involved in a number of disputes over the use of the dump since 2004. Each of these disputes has resulted in garbage piling up in the capital.

As a result, Jakarta has been exploring other waste options, including establishing temporary dumps at Rawa Malang, near Cilincing in North Jakarta, as well at Rorotan and Nagrak, both in East Jakarta. However, these sites ran into trouble because of opposition from residents.

Jakarta's plan to open a waste treatment plant in Bojong, Bogor, has also met with fierce resistance from locals.

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