Minister Of Environment And Forestry Hanif Faisol Encourages Rest Areas Of Toll Roads To Build Culture To Smit Waste

Minister of Environment (LH)/Head of the Environmental Control Agency (BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq encourages to restore toll road area managers to build a culture of sorting waste, so as not to contribute to the burden of landfill/final processing (TPA) waste.

"Rest area is this area. Special area. So it is hoped that the manager-rest area will be able to build a culture of sorting waste. All tenants and visitors are required to sort waste," said Hanif during a visit to the KM 57 rest area of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road, quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 27.

He said that the handling of waste in the rest area must be completed in the rest area, one of which is by sorting waste. Do not let the waste produced in the rest area be taken to the waste TPA.

"The waste produced here - rest area-, must be finished here - rest area-. Don't let it be brought to the TPA -Jalungang in Karawang-," he said.

This was conveyed because actually the TPA was the final processing place, not the final disposal site. So those who are allowed to enter the TPA are only residues that cannot be processed in the rest area.

"From now on, the obligation to sort waste in the rest area must be implemented immediately. Because currently all types of waste have value," he said.

In order to implement this, Hanif conveyed that the rest area managers on toll roads should intensify appeals to visitors and tenants in rest areas, so as not to dispose of the waste they produce. Instead, sorting the waste yourself.

"Now an appeal can be intensified to no longer dispose of the trash. But dealing with self-generated waste. The residues have just been disposed of. So each is obliged to handle the waste itself," he said.

This must be done as an effort to reduce the burden on the waste TPA.

"We can imagine, if all the garbage is thrown into its place, then the garbage is thrown into the TPA. So later all the waste TPA can be like Bantargebang, Burangkeng, all the garbage piles up, so it becomes a problem and can trigger disasters," he said.

According to him, it is recommended for rest area managers to recruit local residents as extension workers or advisors who are tasked with reminding visitors to keep them clean.

He said that the handling of waste has been clearly regulated in Law Number: 18 of 2008. Likewise in the regions, there are regional regulations that can be followed by the provisions of the rest area manager.

Asked when the final limit for rest area managers should apply waste sorting, Hanif said that it was hoped that it would be carried out immediately.

"Of course there is a transition period, because they -the rest area managers must also combine with various parties for their implementation. But we ask that there be periodic changes in handling waste in the rest area," he said.

Hanif also said that there are sanctions for rest area managers who do not handle waste by sorting waste.

"Sanctions if accidentally a maximum of 3 years, if intentionally at least 4 years. But regional managers are expected to implement it immediately. We will be firm, yes, there are several sanctions that will be applied if they do not comply with the provisions," he said.