Mataram Rivers Choked with Rubbish Despite Recent Clean-up

Piles of rubbish have reappeared in several rivers in Mataram, including a channel in Tanjung Karang, Sekarbela, and Kali Ning. The heaps are dominated by domestic or household waste.

Before the rubbish built up, Mataram’s Public Works and Public Housing Agency (PUPR) had already cleared waste from a number of rivers. But a few days later, even larger quantities had accumulated again.

“Take Kali Ning, for example. After yesterday’s rain, the rubbish immediately collected there. We had only finished clearing it the previous week. That means some waste has come from elsewhere, and some is local,” Mataram PUPR chief Lale Widiahning said when contacted on Friday (30 October 2026).

She expressed disappointment that the clean-up effort seemed to be an endless task, because residents were not becoming more aware of the need to stop dumping rubbish in rivers. As a result, waste management kept going round in circles: it was dumped, cleared and taken away.

“We clean as hard as we can, but without awareness, this is what happens. Dump, clear, remove. Dump, clear, remove — over and over again,” Lale said.

She said the physical condition of the river channels and drainage systems at the sites was good: they were wide and had no sediment blockages. The slow flow of water was caused solely by the build-up of plastic and household waste.

The government had already taken various preventive measures, she added, including supporting river-care groups, installing rubbish-catching nets, issuing direct instructions from the mayor to urban village heads, and preparing other steps to prevent further accumulation.

However, responsibility for tackling environmental cleanliness could not rest solely with Mataram’s PUPR or Environmental Agency (DLH). A joint effort was needed.

“In my view, we cannot solve this by focusing only on PUPR or DLH. We have to tackle it together,” she said.

Despite limited resources and a heavy workload, the PUPR field team is currently focused on ensuring that rubbish does not accumulate and block water flow. This is intended to reduce the risk of flooding ahead of the peak of the rainy season.

“Our current target is to prevent rubbish from building up and causing blockages, so the water can flow freely. Hopefully, nothing will obstruct it and cause flooding if rainfall is heavy,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mataram Environmental Agency chief Nizar Denny Cahyadi said his agency was working with PUPR to remove rubbish from waterways and rivers and prevent further build-up.

“As a preventive measure, we are working with PUPR to take the rubbish that has been cleared from the channels and rivers to the landfill,” Nizar said when contacted on Friday.

Nizar said PUPR teams had been cleaning waterways for several weeks. This week, however, DLH and PUPR would step up efforts to transport the waste.

“PUPR cleaned the channels and rivers a few weeks ago. But after the rain yesterday, rubbish accumulated again, so we are joining the effort to remove the waste that has been cleared from the channels,” he said.