Environment Minister: Bantargebang Landslide Alarm to Stop Open Dumping
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has termed the garbage heap collapse that claimed lives at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST) in Bekasi a stark warning to halt open dumping practices.
Hanif described the incident as a serious cautionary message that Jakarta’s waste management cannot continue using open dumping methods. According to him, this system poses severe risks to public safety and workers at the site.
“This incident should not have occurred if waste management were carried out according to regulations. Bantargebang must serve as a lesson for all of us to reform immediately, for the sake of human safety and environmental protection,” Hanif stated in a written statement on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
The landslide occurred in Zone IV of the Bantargebang facility in Bekasi City, West Java, on Sunday, 8 March 2026 at approximately 14:30. A waste pile approximately 50 metres high collapsed, resulting in fatalities.
The Environment Ministry considers the open dumping practice at Bantargebang a violation of Law Number 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. The system is deemed no longer capable of controlling safety risks or preventing environmental pollution.
Hanif stated that Bantargebang had accommodated approximately 80 million tonnes of waste over 37 years. This situation has caused the waste burden to exceed capacity, increasing landslide risk. He also described Bantargebang as an “iceberg phenomenon” of Jakarta’s waste management governance problems.
The Environment Ministry has initiated investigations into alleged negligence in managing the integrated waste processing facility. Legal enforcement proceedings are being conducted through the Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement.
Previously, on 2 March 2026, the ministry issued a Notice of Commencement of Investigation (SPDP) against several waste management locations deemed high-risk, including the Bantargebang TPST.
Hanif stated that those proven negligent resulting in loss of life may be charged under Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. Penalties include imprisonment of 5 to 10 years and fines of 5 billion to 10 billion rupiah.
Bantargebang’s history records several similar incidents. Landslides occurred in 2003 affecting residential areas, followed by Zone 3 collapse in 2006 burying dozens of waste pickers. In January 2026, subsidence in the area also dragged three waste trucks into the river.
As a long-term measure, the government plans to repurpose Bantargebang to accommodate only inorganic waste. Waste processing systems will be strengthened through source-based separation and optimisation of the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility at Rorotan.