Gulkarmat Urges Public Not to Burn Rubbish to Prevent Fires

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Head of the North Jakarta and Thousand Islands Fire and Rescue Sub-Department (Sudin Gulkarmat), Budi Haryono, has urged local residents not to burn rubbish indiscriminately as it can cause fires that harm the community.

“We ask that no more residents burn rubbish carelessly,” said Sudin Gulkarmat Head Budi Haryono in Jakarta on Saturday.

He stated this following a fire at a pile of rubbish on an empty plot at Jalan Raya Bekasi KM 21, RT 03/04, Pegangsaan Dua Ward, Kelapa Gading District, on Friday (24/6).

According to him, the rubbish pile fire spread to an area estimated at around 5,000 square metres at the illegal waste disposal site.

He recounted that the fire response began on Friday (24/6) morning at 08:20 WIB after receiving information from the public.

In total, 11 fire trucks with 55 personnel worked to extinguish the blaze, and to speed up the process, they were assisted by one excavator from the Water Resources Sub-Department (SDA) to break up the rubbish piles so the fire would not spread again.

The fire was finally extinguished in the afternoon around 17:21 WIB.

According to him, hot weather, strong winds, and the vast area posed the main challenges on the ground.

“The chronology of this fire started from rubbish that was burned and then spread, becoming larger,” he said.

Previously, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov) reminded the public in the capital that burning rubbish indiscriminately could result in a fine of Rp500,000.

The Head of the Air Pollution and Environmental Damage Control Division of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH), Erni Pelita Fitratunnisa, said the sanction is stipulated in Regional Regulation No. 4 of 2019 on Waste Management.

“Rubbish is one source of air pollution, especially if uncontrolled rubbish burning is carried out. The sanction is Rp500,000,” she said during a discussion with the media in Jakarta on Wednesday.