Temporary Rubbish Depot on the Edge of Pesanggrahan River at Tanah Kusir Cemetery Closed After Viral Photo

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The temporary waste storage site (emplacement) on the edge of the Pesanggrahan River at the special block of Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery, South Jakarta, was permanently closed on Friday (27/3/2026).

The closure followed a viral photo upload claiming that a truck belonging to the Water Body Management Unit of the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH) was dumping rubbish into the Pesanggrahan River in Tanah Kusir.

Kompas.com observations at the site showed that the land along the Pesanggrahan Riverbank is now clear of rubbish. Only a stretch of red soil remains, with one excavator unit.

A red banner reading “Announcement: Emplacement Permanently Closed” was erected on the land by officers from the Waste Handling Unit (UPS) of the Water Body Service under the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH).

The closure of this emplacement was also monitored by the Head of the Jakarta Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto.

“So today we are closing the emplacement at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery,” Asep said when met at the location on Friday.

Asep stated that the emplacement was closed to preserve the environment. Not only at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery, but emplacements along other riverbanks will also be closed soon.

“Emplacements along rivers like this will be closed gradually,” Asep said.

Rubbish stored at the emplacement usually does not stay long because it is always transported to a larger storage site at the TB Simatupang emplacement.

The Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery emplacement accommodated rubbish from rivers in the Pesanggrahan, Kebayoran Lama, and Kebayoran Baru areas.

Meanwhile, the TB Simatupang emplacement handles rubbish from the entire South Jakarta region before the residue is transported to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) in Bekasi.

“So we ensure that this is not household waste, kitchen waste, or domestic rubbish, but purely waste from water bodies, from rivers that we temporarily store,” he explained.

Previously, it was reported that the viral photo was uploaded by the account @murwidianti and taken from inside a vehicle.