KLHK Asks Local Governments To Supervise TPA From Potential Fires

Firefighters tried to cool the burned area at the Jatibarang TPA, Semarang, Central Java, Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (ANTARA-IC Senjaya)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has asked local governments to maintain the final disposal site (TPA) so as not to catch fire because it is still the dry season.

Director General of Waste Management, Waste, Hazardous and Toxic Materials of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Rosa Vivien Ratnawati said that TPA with an open disposal system or open dumping is at risk of burning because it produces methane gas.

"All fire cases at the TPA are due to the open dumping system. All types of garbage enter there and there is no election. If the open dumping TPA usually appears, the methane gas is hot, and flammable," he said in a dialogue on reducing waste in Jakarta, Thursday.

Vivien emphasized that his party would not give Adipura an assessment to the area where the TPA case caught fire.

According to him, the burning TPA indicates that the TPA is still using an open disposal system.

"My staff has started to come down to inspect the cities. If the TPA is on fire, then Adipura will not judge it," said Vivien.

He said that the TPA should only be for residue so as not to burn. If there is methane gas, then that potential must be managed so as not to pollute the air and trigger the fire.

When the Ministry of PUPR built every TPA, the government had arranged lindi water to capture methane gas. However, the facts on the ground are that all technology is not used because the garbage is piled up in the TPA.

"The reason is that the budget is not enough. Actually, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has made concessions, there is no need for 100 percent sanitary landfill, but uses landfill control which is closed once a week and then manages methane gas," said Vivien.

Previously, on August 19, 2023, the Srimukti TPA in West Bandung Regency, West Java Province, caught fire and the fire is still burning today.

The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has conducted a photo shoot with a thermal camera through an unmanned plane to capture images by utilizing hot temperatures.

Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Hendra Gunawan said the conclusion from the results of the methane gas examination was that there were several locations containing methane gas of more than 100 percent.

At several locations, which are close to the smog point, especially Zones II, III, and IV the methane gas content is still high and can catch fire when triggered by the presence of the fire.

"The source of methane gas is thought to have come from the bottom of the pile of garbage," said Hendra.

In addition to the Srimukti TPA fire, there were a number of other TPAs that were burned this year, including Putri Cenpo TPA in Solo, Central Java; TPA Randegan in Mojokerto City, East Java; TPA Mrican in Ponorogo, East Java; to Gunung Sadai TPA in Bangka Belitung Islands.