TEMPO Interactive, Tegal:Tegal city is once again being faced with the threat of a sea of ​​garbage due to the expiration of the contract on landfill (TPA) in Muarareja in October of this year. While construction on its replacement, a result of a land swap, in Bokongsemar, will only start in 2013. "It's a dilemma, on the one hand we want to deal with garbage, but the House still protests," said Tegal Mayor Ikmal Jaya. According to Ikmal, construction of the new landfills is hampered by protests from members questioning the swap mechanism of the Tegal government land and the Bokongsemar land in the Kaligangsa subdistrict. In fact, Ikmal explained, the location of the TPA is in accordance with the local regulation on the design; in addition it is already a government program that was decided in 2008. "This decision, using scientific considerations, is in accordance with the applicable laws, including environmental laws," Ikmal Jaya added. If the land is not used immediately, the Tegal government will be overwhelmed by an ocean of household waste, which averages at 700 cubic per day. This threat may force Ikmal to start construction of a TPA on land that was replaced by three Tegal government-owned plots of land, namely in Keturen, Pekauman and Kraton. He argues that the construction of the landfill does not require approval by the Regional Representatives Council (DPRD) because it involves the public interest. "This is regulated in government regulations and legislations, we only need to notify the House," he said. Meanwhile, Chair of Commission III of Tegal Abdullah Sungkar reasons that the condition of the new landfill does not meet requirements because it is a swamp and functions as a buffer zone in the event of flooding. "This is not in accordance with usability, because the waste disposed must be covered with soil," said Abdullah Sungkar. Another reason he gave was that the land swap process is not transparent and there is a tendency to deliberately fill the mayor’s personal coffers. This includes the involvement of third parties that have started to work on the land ownedby the Tegal City government although the land swap process had not been finalized. "Third party developers have dared to start working on the land owned by the city government and market it as a housing complex," Abdullah explained. According to him, at a hearing with the DPRD, Ikmal Jaya said the swap had not been completed. EDI FAISOL