DLH Permanently Closes Waste Storage Facility at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery

The Jakarta Environment Agency (DLH) has permanently closed the temporary waste storage site (emplacement) at Kali Pesanggrahan, located in the Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery (TPU) in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, which has been operational since 2014. “Therefore, as of today, we are closing the emplacement at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery, and we hope this serves as our commitment to maintaining environmental sustainability,” said Head of the Jakarta Environment Agency Asep Kuswanto when met at the Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery in South Jakarta on Friday (27/3), quoted from Antara. Representing the Jakarta Environment Agency, Asep also expressed apologies regarding social media posts about garbage trucks (minidumps) appearing to dump waste into the river. He thanked all community members for their input, which has served as a lesson for continuously improving waste management in Jakarta. “The emplacement specifically at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery has been in place since 2014, and it is one of the first emplacements we used in DKI Jakarta,” Asep stated. He explained the function of the emplacement as a temporary storage site for waste originating from water bodies, not from residents. The emplacement handles waste from water bodies in Pesanggrahan, Kebayoran Baru, and Kebayoran Lama. There are approximately six minidumps deployed at the emplacement. The waste is then transferred using an excavator. Subsequently, the waste is transported back using minidumps to TB Simatupang or the Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) Bantargebang for final processing. The Jakarta Environment Agency has deployed standby personnel, six garbage trucks (minidumps), and one excavator during the waste relocation process, with the waste weighing approximately six tonnes at the 12 cubic metre site. Thus, the DLH ensures no waste dumping activities into the Pesanggrahan River in the Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery area, South Jakarta, as seen in the viral video on social media. Although located near the Pesanggrahan River, the waste relocation process is carried out in a designated area and ensured not to come into contact with the water body. The circulating video was likely taken from a roadside perspective, creating the perception that waste was being dumped into the river.