TPS3R Sokowaten Managers Claim Odour Not from Waste Burning
Managers of TPS3R Sokowaten in Tamanan, Banguntapan, Bantul, have admitted to odours arising from waste management at the site. However, they state that the smell is not from burning waste.
“According to me, the pile of waste on the southern side is the problem. But now the machine has been tested and it could potentially solve it,” said Koordinator TPS3R Sokowaten, Novyan Sholikin, to detikJogja in Sokowaten, Bantul, on Tuesday (21/4/2026).
The odour is said to come from residue left over from processing waste into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). This residue has been piled up at TPS3R because there was previously no incinerator machine.
Novyan stated that they only brought in the incinerator machine in December 2025, and assembly took two months until early 2026.
Thus, TPS3R Sokowaten could only start burning today. The burning is said to be for incinerating the residue while also drying organic waste that will be processed.
“No smoke, because we are only trialling the incinerator today. This incinerator is for drying organic waste and burning residue waste, and we are only trying it today,” he said.
detikJogja observations showed several people loading waste into the green-coloured incinerator machine. The machine is used to burn waste, with smoke exiting from a chimney outside the TPS3R.
“And today we are only trialling it, so if there is any waste burning coming from TPS3R, it’s not. But the waste smell is indeed there because of the pile of waste on the southern side,” he added.
Local Residents’ Accounts
One resident of RT 2 Sokowaten, Tamanan, Banguntapan, Bantul, Supardiono (77), claimed to often smell unpleasant odours from TPS3R. According to him, this happens every day, especially when the wind blows towards the east.
“Yes, sometimes the smell reaches the house, especially if the wind is towards the east,” he told detikJogja in Sokowaten, Bantul, on Tuesday (21/4/2026).
Supardiono also said he had previously complained about this to the TPS3R managers. The result was that the managers acknowledged the pile of residue waste as the trigger for the odour.
“Residents have gone there to complain, and the waste was cleaned up at one point,” he said.
Meanwhile, RT 2 Sokowaten Chairman, Suharno, said there is indeed an unpleasant odour from TPS3R.
“The issue of odour and smoke occurs from time to time, but it’s not from DLH (TPS3R) but from the independent one by the riverbank,” he said.
That independent waste processing, Suharno continued, belongs to one of his residents. Suharno also admitted that waste burning at that processing site has been ongoing for the past year.
“Independent processing has been around for a long time, but the burning has been about a year now. I’ve warned him many times, but the person is unresponsive,” he said.
Therefore, Suharno said he is coordinating with the Dukuh up to the Lurah to issue a warning to the owner of the independent waste processing.
“I’ve already coordinated with Dukuh Sokowaten up to Lurah Tamanan. As soon as possible, we will issue a warning letter to the person concerned,” he said.
Previously reported, representatives from Padukuhan Sokowaten residents in Tamanan, Bantul, along with SLBN 2 Bantul, complained to the Ombudsman RI Yogyakarta Representative about alleged environmental pollution from TPS 3R activities. The complaint was filed because the pollution impacts were deemed to disrupt residents’ health and teaching activities at the school.
IDEA Executive Director and legal representative for the residents and school, Ahmad Hedar, said the pollution impacts have been felt for a long time, but only now formally reported because the conditions are considered increasingly severe.
“So far, many have been holding back, including many lobbying efforts or soft approaches through the Education Office, through DLH, including through the kalurahan,” said Hedar when met at the ORI Yogyakarta Representative Office, Depok, Sleman, on Monday (20/4).