DKI Provincial Government Denies Issue of SPKU RDF Rorotan Turned Off, Equipment is Being Calibrated
JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Environment Service (DLH) has denied reports that the air quality monitoring system (SPKU) around the Rorotan RDF Plant, Cilincing, was turned off. DLH ensures that all monitoring devices are still operating and have never been stopped.
Head of the DKI Jakarta Environment Service Asep Kuswanto said that the SPKU is currently undergoing field colocation or calibration. This process is carried out to ensure that the air quality and noise data produced by the sensor is truly accurate and can be scientifically accountable.
Asep assessed that this clarification needed to be conveyed to straighten out the information that developed in the public space. According to Asep, certain airborne compounds can come from various sources, not only land activities, but also the natural background of coastal areas, with an intensity that is very influenced by weather conditions, especially at night.
"There is no blackout or termination of monitoring. What is done is the field calibration process so that the sensor reads the environmental conditions correctly and does not cause misinterpretation of the raw data," said Asep in his statement, Monday, February 2.
He explained that the colocation test is a technical stage that is commonly carried out in the operation of air quality monitoring systems, especially in new technologies. Calibration is needed to identify potential bias in sensor readings that are influenced by the characteristics of the surrounding environment, including coastal conditions.
Since the end of December 2025, DLH has installed eight SPKU units around the Rorotan RDF Plant. All devices are equipped with ambient odor monitoring sensors, with parameters including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, methyl sulfide, and styrene.
Asep said this system was the first in Indonesia that was specifically equipped with an ambient noise measuring sensor. In the colocation test phase, DLH took standardized ambient noise samples.
The samples were then tested in an accredited laboratory to be compared with the data of the SPKU reading, before the monitoring results were fully displayed to the public.
"The air quality data cannot be read as a single number. The SPKU serves as an early warning system and a tool for reading the trend of changes in air quality over time, not to draw immediate conclusions," said Asep.
Asep claimed that his party continued to monitor air quality on an ongoing basis, evaluating the operation of the Rorotan RDF Plant gradually, and providing information to the public openly and based on scientific data.
"Strengthening technology and environmental prudence are our main principles. The Rorotan RDF Plant was built as a solution for modern, safe, and responsible waste management for Jakarta to avoid a waste management crisis like in other areas," concluded Asep.