Protested by Residents, DKI Provincial Government Permanently Closes Waste Disposal in the Tanah Kusir TPU River

DKI Provincial Government DLH stops the operation of emplasements or temporary waste shelters in the river bodies of the Tanah Kusir TPU area. doc. DKI Provincial Government Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Environment Service (DLH) officially stopped the operation of the emplasemen or temporary waste shelter in the river body of the Tanah Kusir TPU area, South Jakarta.

This closure was carried out after the activities at the location attracted public attention and went viral on social media. DLH stated that this step was part of an evaluation of the management of waste management, especially waste management in water bodies.

"Starting today, we are closing the existing embankment at the Tanah Kusir TPU. Furthermore, we will carry out repairs and ensure that the embankments on the riverbanks are arranged and closed gradually," said Head of the DKI Jakarta DLH Asep Kuswanto at the Tanah Kusir TPU, South Jakarta.

DLH also plans to rearrange the disposal system at other locations along the riverbanks. The repairs are carried out to minimize environmental impacts while preventing waste from entering the water flow.

"The existence of this landfill is to accelerate waste handling in water bodies. However, we will continue to evaluate its management so that it is more organized and environmentally friendly," he said.

As a follow-up step, waste management from the area is now transferred to a waste screening facility in TB Simatupang. DLH considers this facility to be more adequate because it has a more optimal processing system.

Even though the distance of transportation is further, DLH ensures that waste handling services will not be disrupted. The barrier system in the river is also optimized to hold waste before being transported to land.

"We are committed to maintaining environmental sustainability, including ensuring that waste picked up from the river does not return to the water. We will continue to optimize the barrier system in the river to hold waste before being transported to the land," he said.

Asep explained that the TPU landfill of Tanah Kusir is one of the initial locations in the water body waste management system in Jakarta which has been operating since 2014. This location accommodates waste from cleaning rivers and reservoirs in the Pesanggrahan, Kebayoran Baru, to Kebayoran Lama areas.

The garbage stored at the location is said to not come from households, but rather the result of cleaning water bodies. After being collected, the garbage is transported using heavy equipment to a mini dump truck to be taken to processing facilities such as TB Simatupang and TPST Bantar Gebang.

"This placement is temporary, like a temporary waste shelter on land. We ensure that the waste that comes in will be resolved within one day and does not accumulate," he explained.

In addition, the location is also used to accommodate the waste from tree pruning from the City's Parks and Forests before being transported to the processing site.

"In the Tanah Kusir TPU area, there are so many leaves, so the City's Parks and Forests Department puts leaf waste and tree pruning results in this place, which is then transported together with the river body waste to TB Simatupang or TPST Bantargebang," explained Asep.

"We thank the public for the input and suggestions provided. This is a lesson for us to continue to improve the governance of public transportation in Jakarta," he continued.