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Smelly water: Bekasi regency residents bear brunt of overloaded dumpsite
The sole disposal site of the regency was declared overloaded by the Bekasi administration in 2014.
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Scavengers collect trash at the Burangkeng dump site in Burangkeng, a village in Bekasi regency, West Java, on Aug. 1, 2019. (JP/Budi Sutrisno)
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n unpleasant odor filling the air is not the only issue people living in Burangkeng village, Setu, Bekasi regency face, as the Burangkeng final disposal site (TPA), which is operating beyond its capacity, has also contaminated their groundwater, further posing risks to their wellbeing.
People living in Burangkeng village are susceptible to water contamination, as garbage from their local disposal site has infested their houses. Those living in close proximity to the landfill have slightly yellow and oily water, with an unpleasant odor coming emanating from it when stored for at least two hours in a reservoir.
Among those affected is Mulyani, a 31-year-old scavenger who was born and raised in the village long before the disposal site became overloaded, when living conditions she claimed were better.
The sole disposal site of the regency was declared overloaded by Bekasi regency administration in 2014 but it still receives up to 800 tons of garbage every day.
Before 2014, Mulyani said the sea of garbage had never come near her house, which is 400 meters away from the disposal site. Now, however, she can see a mountain of garbage from her backyard.
The garbage has contaminated the water that she usually draws from her house’s well, which has caused more issues for her daily activities with her mother and 9-year-old son.
While the water should be OK when used for bathing, using the water for household chores was not ideal.
