Rp 50 Million Fine Fails to Deter Illegal Dumping in Klungkung
The threat of a maximum fine of Rp 50 million has not been enough to stop residents in Klungkung Regency, Bali, from littering. This is despite Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 7 of 2014 stipulating sanctions for violators of up to three months in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 50 million.
Based on observations, unsorted household waste is still scattered in a number of locations. Residents are even dumping rubbish around banners prohibiting littering that have been installed by the government. One such location is in Semarapura Tengah Village, Klungkung District. A street sweeper from the Klungkung Environment and Land Agency (DLHP), Wayan Mahastuti, admitted to being overwhelmed by the actions of residents who ignore the warnings. “We have warned them like this, but it doesn’t work. If they dump it here, dogs tear the rubbish apart, so it ends up in the middle of the road. We are forced to clean it up,” Wayan said while clearing scattered waste from the road on Monday morning (20/7/2026).
Observations at the location, which is near the official residence of the Klungkung Regent, showed that residents dump their waste under the cover of darkness, either at night or around 5:30 a.m. local time. Sanitation workers carry out waste collection every day. However, after the area is cleaned, plastic bags of rubbish quickly refill the prohibited dumping site. In other locations, the instruction to separate organic and inorganic waste is also being ignored. The DLHP has implemented a collection schedule based on waste type, but workers are still forced to collect unseparated waste daily.
The Head of the Klungkung DLHP, I Dewa Komang Aswin, reiterated the Rp 50 million fine stipulated in Perda Number 7 of 2014. However, he admitted that the regulation has not been effectively enforced so far. “What else can we do? This has been our challenge all along. Of course, enforcing this regulation requires supervision across sectors, both from the regional apparatus handling the bylaw and the village administration,” Aswin explained.
He stressed that the most important thing is for the public to be aware of the waste disposal schedule. This would make it easier for officers to collect the waste and prevent it from scattering onto the road. “We actually allow people to dispose of their waste at their usual spots. But please pay attention to the schedule. If it is not scheduled, for example, if waste is dumped at night or at 4 or 5 in the morning, dogs will scavenge through it and it will be scattered,” Aswin explained. Aswin plans to increase supervision. However, he believes these efforts will not run optimally without cross-sector cooperation.
Meanwhile, as of the writing of this report, the Head of the Klungkung Civil Service Police Unit and Fire Department, I Dewa Putu Suwarbawa, had not yet provided a response regarding supervision in the enforcement of the Klungkung Regency Regional Regulation on waste management.