Mountains of Rubbish at Kramat Jati Main Market Disrupt Unloading Activities

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Several traders at the Kramat Jati Main Market have complained that a pile of rubbish approximately six metres high is disrupting unloading activities. The towering rubbish is located near the vegetable and fruit traders’ area, thereby narrowing vehicle access. “Usually, it’s very crowded in the evening and at night because trucks are constantly unloading, so the road feels narrower because of the rubbish,” said Agus (48), one of the traders, when met at the Kramat Jati Main Market on Tuesday (31/3/2026). Agus explained that rubbish accumulation had previously occurred in January 2026. However, the current pile is far worse. “Yes, since the Bantargebang landslide, the rubbish hasn’t been disposed of at all, so it overflows. It’s already been levelled by an excavator; otherwise, it would spread everywhere—this is serious,” said Agus. “Normally, unloading takes one hour, but now it can take more than two hours because the road is narrower, and all the vehicles arriving are large ones,” said Ratno. According to Ratno, the uncollected rubbish pile also affects buyer interest. “This rubbish is on the road, making it muddy; when it gets the sun, it evaporates and the smell spreads everywhere—I worry buyers will be reluctant to go to the back,” he explained. Based on Kompas.com observations since Tuesday morning, four rubbish trucks have begun transporting the accumulated waste. The trucks are marked with the Thousand Islands Sub-Directorate of Environment. In addition, one heavy equipment unit, a shovel loader, has been deployed to load the rubbish into the arriving trucks. The road conditions around the location appear muddy because the rubbish mixed with water has pooled up to the road surface. Although transportation has begun, the rubbish mound still appears high, and a pungent odour is still detectable around the Temporary Waste Collection Point (TPS) at the Kramat Jati Main Market. The Public Relations Manager of Perumda Pasar Jaya, Topik Hidayatulloh, stated that the rubbish mountain at the Kramat Jati Main Market occurred due to limitations in the transport fleet.