Bekasi DPRD to Summon Jakarta, Bekasi Officials over Trash Issue

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bekasi Legislative Council (DPRD) Commission 1 member, Ariyanto Hendrata, said his side would summon Jakarta and Bekasi administration to evaluate the deal on the use of Bantargebang integrated waste management facility (TPST).

“The agreement is inked in 2016, it has been two years without evaluation,” said Ariyanto on Monday, Oct 22, adding that the evaluation was required every time there was progress on the waste management.

According to Ariyanto, Jakarta disposed a large amount of trash to Bantargebang TPST, while the capital city’s promise to build the Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF) in Jakarta since the era of Governor Joko Widodo was not actualized.

Thus, thousands of tons of waste were disposed of to Bantargebang TPST. “Bekasi people never dream of being the toilet for Jakartans,” said Ariyanto.

Bekasi people greatly suffered by the mountain of garbage, and so the air increasingly polluted. Jakarta, he added, only capable to compensate for the smells at Rp200,000 per month.

“Oxygen is expensive as it relates to the health but [Jakarta] values it at Rp200,000 only,” he underlined.

According to Ariyanto, Jakarta as the owner of Bantargebang TPST must rehabilitate the site and stopped the trash delivery considering its capacity was already overloaded.

Jakarta administration provided the compensation fee for smelly trash via direct cash assistance (BLT) worth Rp200,000 per family per month which was sent to Bekasi administration.

The distribution of the compensation was direct to each account of Bekasi people. The figure increased since Jakarta Environment Agency took over the waste management from PT. Godang Tua Jaya.

ADI WARSONO