Garbage Pile at Angke Tambora Flats Temporarily Collapses Resident's House Wall

JAKARTA – A mountain of rubbish in the residential area of the Angke Flats in Tambora, West Jakarta, temporarily collapsed the wall of one resident’s house during the Eid period last year.

The wall of the semi-permanent house owned by Masruroh (67), which is also used as a business premises, collapsed because it could not withstand the weight of the rubbish pile next to it.

The incident occurred in March 2026, when rubbish accumulated in an empty area right beside her house, following the temporary closure of the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) due to a landslide.

The vegetable seller, who has lived and traded at the location since 2010, revealed that the volume of piled-up rubbish even reached the height of her roof.

“Oh, it reached the top, right up to the top (the rubbish pile), yes. That’s why the wall collapsed,” said Masruroh.

She admitted that every day she is disturbed by the foul smell and maggot infestations that spread to the floor where she carries out her activities.

“Sometimes they just throw it from up there. I once ran away almost hit by asbestos,” she said.

Nevertheless, she admitted to feeling relieved because in the last few days, sanitation workers have removed most of the rubbish pile at the location.

“It’s better now that it’s being taken away, alhamdulillah. Yesterday it was lifted, there was someone checking here and then it was lifted again, I was so happy,” she stated.

She also called for residents’ awareness not to litter indiscriminately.

“What I want is for it to be clean, safe like that. Whoever can manage it should fix it. The residents shouldn’t litter randomly either. Because the flats also become smelly, in front of the house sometimes there’s dirt, they don’t want to clean it up, there needs to be awareness,” Masruroh concluded.