Environment Minister Targets Resolution of NTB Waste Problems Within Two Years
The Minister of Environment, Mohammad Jumbar Hidayat, has highlighted the pattern of waste accumulation in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). This was disclosed during a discussion with the Governor of NTB, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, alongside regents and mayors from across the province at Bank NTB Syariah.
Jumhur aims to resolve the issue of waste accumulation in NTB within a two-year period. According to him, the old paradigm of waste management must be abandoned by the people of NTB.
“Conventional patterns such as collect, transport, and dump are no longer relevant and will only trigger new problems at landfills (TPA). Therefore, nowadays we must start sorting from the source. What is valuable we recycle, and what is still good can be reused,” said Jumhur in Mataram on Monday (7/7/2027).
He targets that waste sorting and management patterns in NTB must be immediately implemented by each region. If the waste sorting process is successful, there will no longer be issues with landfills being smelly, rotten, burning, or producing methane gas emissions.
To achieve this target, the Ministry of Environment, together with the NTB Provincial Government, will formulate specific strategies for waste management tailored to the local wisdom of the communities on Lombok and Sumbawa islands.
As one concrete short-term step to address the waste problem in NTB, Jumhur requested all regional heads to implement the sorting of organic and inorganic waste starting from households, including the optimisation of composter usage.
He also requested all regional heads to begin making significant changes, which are projected to become visible within the next six months to one year.
“We target that results will start to be visible within six months,” he emphasised.
The Governor of NTB, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, welcomed the commitment and serious attention of the Environment Minister. According to Iqbal, Minister Jumhur had personally observed the environmental conditions in NTB from the air, including crucial waste accumulation points.
“We conducted several hoverings via helicopter at the Kebon Kongok landfill in West Lombok to see the waste issues directly. The Minister has noted this and is committed to helping us find solutions, both for Kebon Kongok and other locations in NTB,” explained Iqbal.
In addition to the waste issue, Iqbal stated that the Environment Minister also evaluated the prevalence of critical forests in Sumbawa, as well as the impact of mining activities on the marine ecosystem there.
“We also discussed the impact of aquaculture on the environment in the Sumbawa region. Therefore, we will synchronise our policies regarding the environment later,” concluded Iqbal.