Rubbish Piles Overflow in Kalibaru, Disrupting Salted Fish Drying Activities

JAKARTA - Piles of rubbish in RT 10, RW 04, Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta, which are overflowing, are being complained about by residents because they cause unpleasant smells and disrupt salted fish drying activities.

Syamsi (45), one of the workers at the salted fish drying site, said the smell from the rubbish pile is very disruptive to his activities.

“Yeah, the smell, you know what it’s like. We residents here, you know what it’s like. Especially drying the fish, it’s disrupted, having to move the rubbish around,” he said when met at the location on Tuesday (7/4/2026).

“Even just passing through is difficult, this is the entrance road. Actually, if it’s not scattered, it’s not too disruptive, but this is the access for going back and forth, so it’s disruptive. Like this, it blocks the way for becak carts carrying wood,” he said while showing the condition of the overflowing rubbish.

In agreement with Syamsi, Septiana (30), a trader near the location, admitted to being disturbed by the smell of the rubbish located close to her selling area.

She assessed that the scattered rubbish condition also impacts her trading activities.

“I feel disturbed, I feel the smell. Because if there are customers, it’s near the rubbish, especially with the rubbish scattered like this, it just feels disruptive, it doesn’t look neat,” she told Kompas.com on Tuesday.

Septiana said the current rubbish accumulation condition is worse than before.

Septiana hopes that rubbish handling in the area can be more organised so that rubbish does not pile up and become messy.

“I hope it gets cleaned up. I mean, to make it better. If possible, every three days, or every two days, anyway, don’t let it get messy like this,” she added.

Previously reported, rubbish piles in RT 10, RW 04, Kalibaru area, Cilincing, North Jakarta, are overflowing into the surrounding salted fish drying area.

Based on Kompas.com’s observation at the location on Tuesday (7/4/2026), the rubbish is scattered up to entering the salted fish drying place behind the pile.

The rubbish is seen scattered under the fish drying racks. In addition, the overflowing rubbish also covers two out of three access roads to the salted fish drying area.

The types of rubbish piling up are varied, from food scraps, plastics, shellfish waste, to damaged sofas. At the location, seven green rubbish bins are also visible.

A man was seen in the middle of the rubbish pile, collecting plastic bottles.

The rotten smell from the rubbish mixed with the aroma of salted fish can be smelled from about 10 metres away.