Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Bandarlampung administration had planned to expand its landfill capacity in 2015 to solve its waste problem, said an official on Tuesday (27/1), in Bandarlampung, Lampung province.
The Bakung landfill, located in Telukbetung of Bandarlampung, has been overwhelmed with 700 to 800 tons of waste per day which exceeds the capacity of the 14.5 hectares of area. The government is planning to add five hectares cooperating with private sector.
“The volume [of waste] is increasing every day, [the landfill is] reaching its limit,” said Setiawan Batin of Bakung landfill which had been built in 1994. “This is an urgent project since five years ago but only this year that we have reached an agreement with the parliament.”
Furthermore, Batin said at least 200 scavengers collecting organic waste at the landfill had helped keeping balance with its volume. However, their lives are in constant danger as the landfill is a huge methane storage which makes it easy to burn during dry season.
“Beneath this landfill contains high methane which easily sparks fires and would harm people,” he said adding that the government had issued a regulation on domestic and industrial waste management to no avail.
Meanwhile, Nurhadiyati, resident of Citra Garden located just over the hill of the landfill complaint on the bad smell. “Every time, we open the door, there is that bad smell [from the waste]. So, there’s no surprise that people are selling their houses,” she said. “But, on the other hand, my house always warm all the time.”
Batin argued that the landfill was built before housing areas development. “Bakung [landfill] got here first but after the government open the access, lots of people built houses here. There are already two housing areas now,” he said.Eni Muslihah