Tabanan Regency's Plan to Expand Mandung Landfill Cancelled
The Tabanan Regency Government (Pemkab Tabanan) plan to expand the Mandung Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Kerambitan Subdistrict has been cancelled. The reason is the failure to reach an agreement on land prices with the surrounding landowners in line with the available budget.
This was revealed during a working meeting of Commission II of the Tabanan Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) with several regional apparatus organisations (OPD), including the Environmental Agency (DLH).
It emerged in the meeting that the expansion of the Mandung TPA was actually planned for 2025. The budget was also available, sourced from Special Financial Assistance (BKK) from the Denpasar City Government amounting to Rp 6 billion.
The Head of DLH Tabanan, at that time held by I Gusti Putu Ekayana, had also held meetings with the landowners. However, in the meetings, no suitable price was found with the landowners.
DLH Tabanan initially offered a price of Rp 23-26 million per are based on verification by an independent institution. After being socialised with the landowners, village, and subdistrict head, the figure was then revised.
Subsequently, based on additional verification, topography, and even land sale transactions around the location, the latest offered price became Rp 40 million per are. However, the landowners hoped for more than that, namely Rp 80-100 million per are.
“From that submission, in the end we made a minutes stating that the expansion of the Mandung TPA could not be carried out. So it stopped there,” said Ekayana.
The cancellation of the Mandung TPA expansion means the Rp 6 billion BKK from Denpasar City becomes a budget remainder (silpa). However, because the budget could not be absorbed into the regional coffers, it was eventually returned to Denpasar City.
The good news is that, thanks to lobbying by Regent Komang Gede Sanjaya, the Rp 6 billion funds were given back by Denpasar City for improvements at the Mandung TPA, such as purchasing waste processing equipment and so on. The improvements are planned to be carried out this year.
Chairman of Commission II of Tabanan DPRD, I Wayan Lara, assessed that the expansion of Mandung TPA is quite important. If looking at the current capacity, Mandung TPA needs a larger area.
“But expansion is not just about dumping waste, but there is also a need for an office, for parking, and especially machines to process waste,” said Lara.
Tabanan DPRD also proposed waste processing machines to the executive. The machines and supporting facilities are deemed important so that waste at Mandung TPA is not just piled up and buried.
“If it keeps being piled up, it will become a problem. From the needs perspective, at least minimal standard processing equipment is needed. This also builds public trust that the waste is truly processed,” explained this politician from Kerambitan.