Anies' Efforts To Overcome The Burial Land Crisis Amid The Increasing Deaths Of COVID-19

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan monitors the death of COVID-19 patients (Photo: Instagram @aniesbaswedan)

JAKARTA - The DKI Provincial Government has disbursed a budget of IDR 185 billion to purchase five new grave lands since the end of 2020.

This addition is an alternative burial location for COVID-19, which is currently experiencing a land crisis. It is estimated that the newly purchased grave land will be able to accommodate 8,800 bodies.

The new graves are located in Srengseng Sawah Cemetery, South Jakarta and Bambu Apus TPU, East Jakarta; TPU Dukuh, East Jakarta; TPU Semper, North Jakarta; and TPU Joglo, West Jakarta.

It is known, since the end of 2020, two special COVID-19 tombs in the Pondok Ranggon TPU and Tegal Alur TPU have been completely filled with COVID-19 bodies. Some of the new bodies there were buried using an overlapping system with other bodies that were still related.

However, it turns out that not all of the burial land that has just been purchased has been used. The graves that have been used are in the Srengseng Sawah Cemetery and the Bambu Apus TPU.

In fact, the Srengseng Sawah TPU, which just opened on January 12, is completely filled with a total capacity of 560 plots.

Meanwhile, the Bambu Apus TPU began to be used since Thursday, January 21, and has buried 142 bodies.

"On Monday afternoon, 142 were buried, nearly 150. Today's data only 18 bodies," said Muhaemin, the person in charge for the COVID-19 Cemetery at Pondok Ranggon Cemetery, when confirmed, Monday, January 25.

The total plot provided is 700 tombs. With so many new bodies being buried, Muhaemin estimates that this 3,000 hectare plot of land will be full in one month.

"Because the average body buried in a day reaches more than 35 bodies. Because indeed the land that is currently being prepared is only for 700 graves, and now there are nearly 150 graves being used," he said.

The reason for the slow clearing of graves

Head of the City Park and Forest Service, Suzi Marsitawati, said that the three cemeteries that will be used as special COVID-19 burial sites have not been used because they are still in the process of clearing the land.

"We need time. Right now, the conditions have not been arranged. So, we will arrange a little more, we will improve it," said Suzi at the City Hall of DKI, Central Jakarta, Monday, January 25.

Suzi said one of the obstacles that caused the length of time to open a new grave area specifically for COVID-19 was the limited heavy equipment owned by the DKI Jakarta Highways Agency.

However, Suzi admitted that his party was accelerating the land clearing process. "My officers work every day until 11pm. That requires high enthusiasm as well. It's a shame that they work hard, not to mention the high risk," Suzi explained.

DKI is also finalizing land owned by the Provincial Government in Rorotan, North Jakarta. The preparation for the burial ground at Rorotan Cemetery began on September 17, 2020. The DKI Provincial Government will use a 2 hectare land.

Later, there will be 1,500 grave plots that can be accommodated in Rorotan TPU. However, until now, the burial ground in Rorotan cannot be used. Rorotan is a lowland area close to the sea in North Jakarta with a wet soil structure.

This is what makes the DKI Pemprov take a long time to finalize the TPU Rorotan burial ground, so that it will only be used when DKI has experienced a COVID-19 burial land crisis.

The increasing number of COVID-19 deaths in DKI

Accelerating the clearing of special tomb land for COVID-19 is needed to offset the increasing number of COVID-19 deaths.

The Twitter account @perupadata recorded the number of funerals with COVID-19 procedures in DKI during the pandemic. January 2021 was recorded as the month with the highest funeral rates during the pandemic.

Once added, the special COVID-19 cemetery in Jakarta was full again. Even in January it was not yet finished, the bodies were buried already 2 thousand, the highest. It could continue like this if there is no improvement in handling upstream, and only rely on "health protocols". pic.twitter.com/d6ejHyfgdy

- perupadata (@perupadata) January 25, 2021

From January 1 to 23, there have been 2,121 funerals with COVID-19 procedures in DKI. December 2020 there were 1,896 funerals, November 1,203 funerals, October 1,271 funerals, September 1,649 funerals, August 1,183 funerals, July 630 funerals, June 575 funerals, May 892 funerals, April 1,241 funerals, and March 354 funerals.