Residents Complain About Odour and Muddy Roads Due to Rubbish at Rawadas TPS
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Residents are complaining about the pungent odour and muddy access roads leading to Malaka 1 Public Cemetery due to piles of rubbish at the Rawadas Temporary Disposal Site in the Pondok Kopi area, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
One resident, Sahrul (49), said the conditions at Rawadas TPS have become increasingly uncomfortable following the Eid al-Fitr holiday break, especially with heightened community activities, including the tradition of grave visits.
“Usually, we go to the cemetery, and after Eid, we come here too. The pungent smell makes it uncomfortable, of course. I hope the road is widened, made visible, with parking space, cleaned up, so it becomes comfortable,” said Sahrul at Rawadas TPS, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He mentioned that the roads around the TPS are also affected because they are covered by accumulating rubbish.
In addition to disrupting the view, the unpleasant aroma has become even more pungent, especially in hot weather.
Similar complaints were voiced by another resident, Fivi (38), who said she has difficulty passing through the area due to the muddy roads mixed with rubbish.
“The roads are muddy, so it smells too. The soil is mixed with rubbish, so it’s not good to step on. It’s disruptive to get to the cemetery, difficult, the aroma, oh dear,” Fivi explained.
She hopes the government can accelerate the process of transporting rubbish to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) so that the piles at Rawadas TPS decrease.
In addition, she also encourages long-term solutions, one of which is relocating the TPS to a more adequate location.
“The hope is that disposal at Bantargebang can be sped up so it can be tidied up, finished quickly. Find land too to move the TPS, so pedestrians can comfortably use the road,” said Fivi.
The frequent accumulation of rubbish at Rawadas TPS, she said, not only affects comfort but also has the potential to disrupt the health of nearby residents.
Therefore, residents hope for serious handling from the local government, both in adding waste transport fleets and reorganising the TPS location so as not to disrupt community activities.
“Today, it’s piling up like this because no trucks are coming to the TPS, so the rubbish piles up to two to four metres high,” said Chairman of RW 02 Pondok Kopi, Ninu Hadi Purwanto, in Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He mentioned that rubbish from residents continues to accumulate without being able to be transported immediately to TPST Bantargebang.
In addition, Hadi said, the accumulation of rubbish also occurs because transport activities have been temporarily halted. Cleaning officers are forced to pile up rubbish at the TPS so that services to residents can continue.
The main obstacle is at TPST Bantargebang. Several trucks that are already loaded with rubbish cannot immediately dump, so they have to return to the environmental agency without emptying their load.
As a result of this condition, the volume of rubbish at Rawadas TPS continues to increase. The height of the rubbish inside the TPS reaches three to four metres, while on the roadside area, it reaches about two metres.