Mountains of Rubbish Overcome, New Face of Kramat Jati Main Market Begins to Emerge

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Mornings at the Kramat Jati Main Market usually begin with a hustle and bustle that never truly sleeps. Vegetable trucks arrive one after another, the aroma of fresh fruit mingling with the sounds of bargaining like the city’s old rhythm. However, a few days ago, that rhythm was disrupted by something silent but striking: towering piles of rubbish, as if shadows of overly dense activity. Amid that pressure, the cleaning efforts were carried out not merely as technical work, but as an endeavour to restore the market’s pulse of life. The regional public company Perumda Pasar Jaya moved quickly. From 2 to 10 April 2026, hundreds of fleets were deployed, scouring the market’s corners that had previously been buried under accumulations. Little by little, the mountains receded, like water returning to its downstream flow. Managing Director Agus Himawan described the step as part of service to the community. But more than that, it is a form of responsibility towards shared living spaces. The market, in this sense, is not just a place of transaction, but also a social space that demands cleanliness as a prerequisite for comfort. According to Pasar Jaya’s records, 228 transport runs were conducted, dominated by dump trucks, followed by tippers, working almost without pause. Those numbers may sound technical, but behind them lies a story of unseen labour: about drivers who set off before dawn, about workers who lift, sort, and ensure nothing is left behind. The surge in waste volume is indeed unavoidable. The high activity in this largest market in the capital produces equally large residues. Here, the classic problem of the modern city finds its face again: how to manage the remnants of human productivity. The answer is not sufficient with just transporting, but also changing perspectives. Therefore, collaboration with the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency becomes important. This synergy is not merely a division of tasks, but a unification of vision, that cleanliness is a system, not a momentary reaction. Transport is carried out every day with high frequency, ensuring that the market no longer gives room for repeated accumulations.