Garbage Piles at Rawa Bebek TPS Overflow onto Road, Disrupting Motorists

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Towering piles of rubbish have overflowed onto the shoulder of Rawa Bebek Road in Pulogebang ward, Cakung district, East Jakarta, on Thursday (9/4/2026). The rubbish accumulation is located at the 3R Waste Disposal Site (TPS), adjacent to the East Flood Canal (BKT) vehicle route. Based on observations by Kompas.com at the site, the rubbish is piled up to a height of around two to three metres and has spilled onto the roadside. Additionally, rubbish is scattered along the edge of the BKT, with some of it falling into the canal area. Several vehicles passing by were seen slowing down due to carts and rubbish trucks preparing to unload or collect waste. A pungent odour could be detected several metres before reaching the 3R TPS. The rubbish, dominated by household waste, appears wet and emits a foul smell. One motorist, Agus (40), said he was disturbed while passing through the road due to the smell and scattered rubbish. “Actually, I take this route to cut through from Ujung Menteng. But I’m afraid to pass here because plastic rubbish and water can cause riders to slip. If you’re unaware of the conditions, you’d be startled, especially if driving fast,” Agus said when met on Thursday. “I can’t remember exactly when it started, but it’s been several weeks. I hope it gets cleared up soon for comfort’s sake; don’t wait until it goes viral,” he added. Meanwhile, Rohmat, a waste collection officer in the area, said the pile-up occurred because the Bantargebang TPST has not fully resumed normal operations after a landslide. “This is likely because Bantargebang isn’t normal yet. It was clean for a while, but it piled up again in the last one to two weeks,” Rohmat said. Rohmat added that currently, there are four trucks operating to transport rubbish from the site to Bantargebang. “As far as I know, there are four trucks. Normally, it can be eight, but if there’s a queue at Bantargebang, it can’t be that many,” he said. “Yes, rubbish from other areas is also dumped here, which is why it’s piling up more, while transportation is still limited,” he explained. Kompas.com has contacted the Head of Environmental Affairs for Cakung district, Encep, regarding the handling of the rubbish, but no response has been received as of yet.