Closure of Temporary Waste Site by the River at Tanah Kusir Cemetery Following Viral Incident
A temporary waste site along the Pesanggrahan River near Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, has been closed by the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH). The closure of this holding or emplacement point on the riverbank was carried out after it gained attention on social media.
“So today we are closing the emplacement at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery, and we hope this also serves as our commitment to preserving the environment,” said Head of DLH DKI Asep Kuswanto to reporters on Friday (27/3/2026).
He stated that the location was a temporary site, not a landfill (TPS). His agency promptly closed the emplacement.
“So once again, this emplacement is a temporary site and not a long-term TPS; we guarantee that the waste accumulated here will be cleared within one day,” he said.
Asep explained that similar emplacements would also undergo improvements. DLH DKI assured that emplacements along riverbanks would be closed in phases.
“And then, because of its temporary nature, there are several other places like this. We will make improvements, and it is ensured that emplacements along riverbanks like this will also be closed gradually,” he clarified.
Asep explained that after the emplacement is closed, waste disposal will be redirected to Tb Simatupang. He mentioned that the reason for transiting at the Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery riverbank was the considerable distance.
“Yes, so with this closure, we are redirecting the disposal to TB Simatupang; we have a waste filter there, and I think everyone knows the location is very representative, where we can process it directly. However, the distance is now quite far, and we hope it does not hinder or impede our services,” he said.
He emphasised that DLH DKI strives to preserve the environment, including rivers. Despite the presence of emplacements, DLH DKI guarantees that no waste is dumped or flows into the sea or rivers in Jakarta.
“So every barrier holds the waste, then we bring it to land to use the minidump; we place it at those emplacements. So its nature is to accelerate the waste handling service in water bodies,” he concluded.
Viral on Social Media
This temporary waste site went viral on social media. In the viral post, a photo appeared to show a vehicle marked with the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH) dumping waste into the Pesanggrahan River at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery. DLH DKI Jakarta explained that there was no dumping into water bodies.
From the photo viewed by detikcom, the vehicle was labelled ‘UPK Badan Air Dinas Lingkungan Hidup Provinsi DKI Jakarta’. It was narrated that residents suspected the vehicle was blocking the road and dumping waste near the river.
Head of the Water Body Waste Handling Unit (UPSBA) of DLH DKI Jakarta, Dadang Cahya Rusdiana, explained that the activity of the dump pickup vehicle in the post was part of official water body waste handling operations, not dumping into the river.
Based on field investigations, the location in question is an official temporary holding or emplacement point owned by UPSBA in the Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery area, specifically in the Special Block.
“We need to clarify that there is no waste dumping into water bodies. The activity shown is the official temporary holding process for waste from water bodies, and all operations at the site are well-controlled with one heavy equipment unit in place and daily routine transport to the Perintis emplacement,” said Dadang in his statement on Thursday (26/3).
Dadang explained that the point functions as a transit location for waste transported from rivers and reservoirs in the Pesanggrahan and Kebayoran Lama sub-districts. The waste is then transferred using small tipper trucks to the Perintis emplacement for further sorting by officers.
“After sorting, residual waste is transported using large trucks with heavy equipment assistance before being sent to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) for further processing,” he said.
Dadang assessed that the circulating photo was likely taken from a viewpoint level with the road, creating the perception that waste was being dumped into the river.
“In fact, the activity is at a holding point managed by the Water Body Waste Handling Unit, and there is no dumping into water bodies,” he stressed.
He added that the narrow road access in the cemetery area makes it impossible to place waste containers at the site. Therefore, waste is temporarily placed in the area below the riverbank as a holding point before being transported using fleets suitable for field conditions, all under strict control.
“Although located near the Pesanggrahan River, all activities are carried out in designated areas and ensured not to come into contact with water bodies,” he said.
“We ensure no waste enters water bodies. There is also a collection point for tree trimming residues from Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery by the Forestry and Parks Agency (Distamhut). The location is equipped with barriers using HDPE floating cubes, and all management processes are carried out according to standard operating procedures (SOP),” Dadang concluded.