Rubbish from Kramat Jati TPS overflows into river, residents fear flooding
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Some residents have expressed concerns about the potential for flooding due to the collapse of the boundary wall at the Temporary Waste Collection Site (TPS) of Pasar Induk Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.
A resident who works as a porter at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati, Tebe (35), stated that efforts to clean the river would not be effective because rubbish from the TPS continues to flow and accumulate in the waterway.
“It’s pointless cleaning the river if all that rubbish keeps falling into it. It gets blocked, and then we could have flooding,” said Tebe at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, on Wednesday.
According to him, the collapse of the boundary wall at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati could have serious environmental impacts on the surrounding area.
Furthermore, the damage to the wall occurred gradually. Tebe recounted that it initially affected only a small section, but the problem worsened over time, causing rubbish to fall directly into the river.
“It started small, then it collapsed, and gradually the rubbish went into the river. Over time, the side also gave way, making it worse,” Tebe explained.
The incident occurred at night. Samidi also suspected that a longer section of the wall had been damaged earlier.
“It collapsed about half a month ago. As for that one (10 metres), I don’t know, it seems longer. This one (two metres) collapsed half a month ago, at night,” said Samidi.
He noted that besides polluting the river, the situation also worsened the environmental quality due to the increasingly pungent smell of rubbish reaching residential areas.
“It’s already so smelly, you can smell it from afar, plus the rubbish going into the river channel. What if there’s flooding?” said Samidi.
Based on observations at the site, the collapsed wall was right behind a towering pile of rubbish reaching approximately six metres high.
The concrete material and supporting poles of the wall were seen to have fallen, with parts entering the waterway below.
Not only that, rubbish consisting of vegetable and fruit waste from the TPS was also seen being carried into the waterway, potentially blocking the flow and worsening the environmental conditions.
The area behind the TPS is known as vacant land used by residents and as a play area for children. The footpath near the rubbish pile also serves as a daily access route for residents.
As many as 13 trucks from the East Jakarta Environmental Office (Sudin LH) were deployed to transport the towering rubbish at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati on Monday (30/3).
“So, that is indeed a public facility. We certainly support public facilities remaining clean and comfortable,” said Monang in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta, on Monday (30/3).
He emphasised that assistance from the East Jakarta Environmental Office is not limited to a specific time but will continue until the rubbish situation at the site is properly handled.
In addition, Monang assured that handling efforts are being carried out to the maximum, with the ultimate target of completely clearing the rubbish at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati.
As is known, the effort to transport the six-metre-high rubbish pile, which has been ongoing for four days since Friday (27/3) at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati, has so far not shown significant results.