DPR member calls for comprehensive reform of national waste management system
Jakarta — A member of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) has urged the government to immediately undertake a comprehensive reform of the nation’s waste management system in response to a tragic landslide at Bantargebang that resulted in four deaths.
“We extend our condolences to the four victims at Bantargebang. This incident is a sign that our waste problem is now critical. The government must act swiftly to undertake comprehensive management reform so that similar tragedies do not continue to recur,” said Elpisina in Jakarta on Monday.
She emphasised that extreme dependence on a waste accumulation system at the Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST) without adequate treatment has created a time bomb threatening public safety.
According to her, the traditional approach of “collect, transport, and dispose” must be abandoned immediately and replaced with a modern processing system from source to disposal.
She highlighted data from the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN) showing that waste volume reaches 25.1 million tonnes per year. Concerningly, approximately 63.97 per cent of this waste is still managed through open dumping systems.
She stated that this approach risks creating unstable waste piles prone to landslides and contaminates groundwater.
“Beyond endangering human safety, poor waste management threatens public health in areas surrounding the facility through groundwater contamination. Large-scale waste accumulation without adequate processing is no longer relevant and is extremely dangerous,” she said.
She cautioned that reform of waste management cannot be delayed any further. Public safety and environmental protection must become top priorities. “The state must ensure that the waste management system no longer threatens lives,” she said.
Previously, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of DKI Jakarta reported that the death toll from the landslide at the Bantargebang TPST in Ciketing Udik Village, Bantargebang District, Bekasi City, West Java, had risen to four.