City to reconsider dump operator's contract

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 09/12/2006 8:26 AM  |  Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso has said he will consider canceling the city's contract with the operator of the Bekasi dump that was the site of Thursday's fatal trash slide.

""We will evaluate the performance of PT Patriot Bangkit Bekasi (PBB). The findings of the evaluation will indicate whether the contract should be extended or canceled,"" he said Monday at City Hall.

He said the company was contractually obliged to follow certain procedures to ensure safety at the 108-hectare sanitary landfill in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi.

""The incident could have been caused by the dump operator's negligence, or by the Jakarta Sanitation Agency's failure to conduct close monitoring, while scavengers also violated regulation by trespassing in the area,"" Sutiyoso said.

The contract is currently due to expire in April next year. The sanitation agency's head, Rama Boedi, said independent consultants would be employed to evaluate dumping aspects related to the incident.

""Sanitary experts from the University of Indonesia and the '45 Islam University in Bekasi are helping us analyse the performance of PBB,"" he said.

He said the sanitary landfill method used at Bantar Gebang dump may not be enough to reduce the volume of the garbage there.

""Other methods, such as incineration and composting, could be applied if needed,"" Rama added.

PPB called off its search for survivors Saturday, after no more bodies had been found and no missing persons reports for scavengers in the area had been filed.

The company has given Rp 2 million each to the families of the two people killed in the slide, while the city administration has said it will allocate Rp 5 million to the two families and Rp 3 million to the five people injured.

Around 6,000 scavengers come to the Bantar Gebang dump each day to search through the 6,000 tons of garbage Jakarta produces every 24 hours.

City Council Commission D on development head Sayogo Hendrosubroto said temporary dumps needed to be established in Jakarta's five municipalities as soon as possible.

""The plan is there but there is no follow up,"" Sayogo told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

""The cost would be high because we need to implement recycling technology. Other countries have allocated around Rp 150,000 (to deal with) a ton of garbage. It takes Rp 200,000 per ton to reach an environmentally friendly level,"" he said.

The Jakarta administration currently pays PBB Rp 50,000 for every ton of garbage sent to the dump.

Sayogo said the challenge was the create awareness among nearby residents of the importance of garbage management and recycling.

Campaign division head at Jakarta's division of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, Khalisah Khalid, told the Post that involving the public was imperative to creating a better garbage management system.

""Community participation is crucial because the city administration cannot handle such a problem by itself,"" she said. (03)

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