Try Mr Pramono Spending Just One Day Sleeping Here, He Definitely Wouldn't Last

Residents of the Affordable Rental Flats (Rusunawa) in Angke, Tambora, West Jakarta, are complaining about piles of rubbish in their surroundings that emit a pungent smell, full of maggots and rats. The rubbish has been piling up for a month in their living environment. Resident Royyan (48) challenged DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung to come and directly experience their conditions living side by side with the rubbish. “Just imagine if Mr Pramono spent one day here. He definitely wouldn’t last. He wouldn’t be able to stay here for even a day, tell him to sleep in the rusun here in Angke,” said Royyan when met by Kompas.com at the location on Friday (3/4/2026). “Even though when talking about housing, Jakarta residents are told to just live in rusunawa. But see for yourself the condition of the rusunawa like this. Don’t just look at the good parts,” he added. The piles of rubbish that have accumulated for nearly a month block residents’ alleys, obstruct motorcycle access, and pose various disease risks. “I’m dizzy seeing the maggots. Big rats, cockroaches, flies. So, it’s uncomfortable for us too. Because whatever we do, it smells, this can cause diseases,” said Royyan. He urged the government to take waste issues more seriously, especially for residents with economic limitations. “Don’t think because we’re poor people, we live in places like this so our fate isn’t considered,” he added. As a result of this condition, children in the rusunawa environment are forced to play far from the residential area. “Oh no. It’s not just smelly, it’s really bad. Especially since I have young children too. The flies are the worst, especially if it rains. There are maggots that rise up there. It’s more than just disturbed,” said Ika, Chair of RT 10 RW 03. Residents emphasised that this problem is not only due to the landslide at the Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) Bantargebang, but related to irregular and selective waste management. Chair of RT 07 RW 11, Suherman, explained that the rubbish collected is often only from the front part. Meanwhile, the back areas and narrow alleys are often left to pile up until they overflow onto the road. This is what makes the back areas and narrow alleys in the rusunawa always the worst accumulation points until the rubbish overflows onto the road.