Environment Ministry Pursues Criminal Charges Against Jakarta Provincial Government Over Bantargebang Landfill Management
The Ministry of Environment (KLH)/Environmental Control Board (BPLH) is taking aggressive steps in response to a deadly landslide tragedy at Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility (TPST). Legal enforcement is now sharply directed at identifying the most responsible parties, including the potential possibility of bringing government officials into criminal proceedings.
Rizal Irawan, Deputy for Law Enforcement at KLH/BPLH, emphasised that the ministry is conducting intensive investigations into the incident that killed seven people. Rizal indicated that the investigation would not only target technical field operations but also management policies by the Jakarta Provincial Government.
“Law enforcement can target responsible parties according to their roles, whether operators or those with authority,” Rizal Irawan stated firmly.
Rizal explained that legal action is being taken due to strong indications of violations of Law No. 18 of 2008 regarding Waste Management and Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. The primary focus of the investigation is the failure of management standards that resulted in environmental contamination and loss of human life.
Regarding the potential for compulsory summonses against TPST Bantargebang operators and officials from the Jakarta Provincial Government, the ministry stated that this possibility remains wide open.
“If indications of violations are found, law enforcement will be conducted in accordance with regulations, including summoning the responsible parties,” the official added.
The tragedy on 10 March further darkens the record of waste management at Bantargebang. According to records, this location has a troubled history, beginning with a landslide in 2003 and the collapse of Zone 3 in 2006 that buried dozens of waste pickers. Even in January 2026, a serious incident occurred when the TPST foundation collapsed and dragged three waste trucks into the riverbed.
This series of events strengthens suspicions of neglect regarding safety standards and exceeding capacity limits (overcapacity). The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) DKI Jakarta has confirmed that all victims have been found. Now the burden falls on KLH’s Law Enforcement Department to determine whether there are elements of criminal negligence in the management of Jakarta’s “garbage mountain.”