Environment Ministry to Proceed with Waste-to-Energy Plant at Jatiwaringin Landfill Despite Fire

Tangerang Regency (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Environment, Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono, has stated that his ministry will continue the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) processing plant project at the Jatiwaringin landfill in Mauk, Tangerang Regency, Banten, even though the area has experienced a fire incident. “Regarding the WtE, because a Waste-to-Energy plant is to be built in this area, a priority programme of the President, we are ensuring that this programme can still proceed,” said Deputy Minister Diaz in Tangerang on Saturday. He said the construction of the WtE plant, which has been designated as a National Strategic Programme, demonstrates the government’s seriousness in tackling the increasingly complex waste problem. “Because however, we must promote this excellent programme of the President regarding WtE,” he said. “So I confirm again here that the land allocated for the WtE, 5 hectares plus 2 hectares for fly ash and bottom ash, must be maintained. The land used and allocated for the WtE must not be used for other purposes,” he stated. He added that the land prepared for the WtE construction site has been properly prepared without being used for other functions. Diaz mentioned that fire suppression efforts at the Jatiwaringin landfill are ongoing through firefighting operations carried out by joint officers from various elements. His party has deployed thermal drones, technology that uses infrared cameras to detect heat radiation, to analyse the source of the fire and its hotspots. “So we can only carry out monitoring analysis via drones periodically,” he said. “The good air quality standard is 15.5, moderate is from 15.5 to 55.5, and after that it is unhealthy and hazardous and so on. And this has reached a level of 1,000. So for several days it has been at a level of 1,000, but last night I saw it drop drastically,” he explained. With characteristics similar to peatland fires, the government, through the Ministry of Forestry, has deployed 30 personnel from the Manggala Agni team from Sulawesi and West Java regions. “Because this landfill may not be ineffective, but it is less effective if only watered from above. Because underneath it continues to burn, so we need the help of Manggala Agni to inject water down to the points below,” he said. Furthermore, through the National Disaster Mitigation Agency together with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, a Weather Modification Technology operation scheme is being prepared to help accelerate the extinguishing process. With this, the emergency situation of the fire disaster covering approximately 15 hectares can be brought under control soon. “So it is possible to carry out the weather modification operation tomorrow. We will do it together with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency,” he concluded.