Bantul Regency Government's Response After TPS 3R Sokowaten Reported for Environmental Pollution
Residents and SLBN 2 Bantul have reported the TPS 3R in Sokowaten, Tamanan, Banguntapan, Bantul, to the Ombudsman Representative of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI) in DIY over allegations of environmental pollution due to waste burning. This is the response from the Bantul Regency Government.
The Head of the Bantul Environmental Office, Bambang Purwadi Nugroho, dismissed claims that the TPS 3R Sokowaten engages in waste burning. According to him, waste management at TPS 3R does not involve burning but rather converting it into refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
“And TPS 3R Sokowaten does not burn waste because there is no incinerator there; instead, there is equipment to process waste into RDF (refuse-derived fuel) or a coal substitute fuel,” he said when contacted by detikJogja on Monday (20/4/2026).
However, Bambang acknowledged community complaints regarding the odour produced. He stated that his office has taken steps to make improvements in line with residents’ expectations.
“Indeed, there are still complaints about waste odour, and we have implemented gradual improvement measures for the system and facilities at TPS 3R to meet community expectations. All of this is to make waste processing better,” he said.
These improvements, Bambang continued, include repairing the hangar and optimising waste processing personnel. One of them is installing a waste drying processor to speed up the waste processing.
“With these improvements, the waste odour can be reduced, thereby preventing environmental pollution,” he said.
In fact, Bambang assessed that the existence of TPS 3R Sokowaten is very strategic in the short term. It can address waste during the transitional period until the end of 2028, when the national programme in DIY is realised.
“That programme involves the operation of the waste-to-energy processing tool at PSEL (processing waste into electricity) with a minimum capacity of 1,000 tonnes of waste per day,” he said.
It was previously reported that representatives from Sokowaten Hamlet, Tamanan, Bantul, along with SLBN 2 Bantul, filed a complaint with the RI Ombudsman Representative in DIY over alleged environmental pollution from TPS 3R activities. The complaint was lodged because the pollution impacts were deemed to disrupt residents’ health and teaching activities at the school.
IDEA Executive Director and legal representative for the residents and school, Ahmad Hedar, said the pollution impacts have been felt for a long time but were only formally reported now because the conditions are considered increasingly severe.
“So far, they have been holding it in, including many lobbying efforts or soft approaches through the Education Office, the Environmental Office, and even the village office,” Hedar said when met at the ORI Representative Office in DIY, Depok, Sleman, on Monday (20/4/2026).
He explained that the pollution comes from burning residues at TPS 3R. As a result, teaching and learning activities at SLBN 2 Bantul are disrupted.
“The residues from waste burning occur almost every day. Before this, the frequency was somewhat reduced,” he clarified.