Padang Produces 640 Tons Of Waste Per Day, 140 Tons Not Transported To TPA Air Dingin

Aerial photo of the Cold Water Waste Landfill in Padang City, West Sumatra. (ANTARA-Iggoy El Fitra)

WEST SUMATRA - The Environment Agency noted that the city of Padang in West Sumatra produces 640 tons of waste every day.

Head of the Padang City Environment Agency, Mairizon, said that of the total waste generated every day in Padang, only about 500 tons reach the Final Processing Site (TPA) in Air Dingin, Padang.

He said that around 140 tons of waste were not transported to TPA Air Dingin. According to him, some that are not transported may be picked up by scavengers to be distributed to recycling centers and the rest are not managed.

To overcome the waste problem, the Environmental Service together with the Mayor of Padang, Hendri Septa, initiated the Padang Mutual Cooperation Program, which will be launched on July 17, 2022, in the District of East Padang.

"The goal is to instill in the community that waste management is also the duty of city residents", said Mairizon, according to Antara.

He explained that the rules for the division of authority in managing waste in the city of Padang are contained in Regional Regulation No. 21 of 2012.

"When the garbage is in the household, it is the community's obligation to manage it until it reaches the Temporary Shelter in the form of a garbage container", he said.

He said the local government had provided hundreds of garbage containers and dozens of motorized tricycles to transport waste from residents' homes to temporary shelters.

Transporting waste from temporary shelters to final processing sites, according to him, is the responsibility of the Padang City Government.

Mairizon said that residents are still complaining about the location of the garbage containers which are quite far from their homes because the number is still limited. According to residents' reports, the number of waste containers is still less than 59 units.

Mairizon said that this year there were 12 waste containers from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

"In addition, the solution to the distance of the container can be solved by using a motorized tricycle that transports garbage that has been distributed to urban villages", he said.

"The city government has provided a grant in the form of a garbage motorized tricycle, but it requires community contributions as operational funds for fuel, maintenance, and officer services", he added.

He stated that several sub-districts collect fees of IDR 10,000 to IDR 15,000 per month from residents to support the operation of motorized tricycles that transport garbage.

However, he continued, residents' participation in paying waste management fees is low and some residents still choose to throw their garbage on the roadside.

The Padang City Environmental Service carries out routine patrols to prevent residents from placing trash in the wrong place.

"Those caught in the act of littering will be subject to a minor criminal offense punishable by three months imprisonment and a fine of IDR 500 thousand", he said.

He emphasized that waste management is not only the responsibility of the government but the responsibility of the city community as well.