Zulhas: DKI in Waste Emergency, Bantargebang Piles Equivalent to a 17-Storey Building

The waste emergency in DKI has become a concern for many parties requiring quick, coordinated, and integrated handling from upstream to downstream,” said Zulhas after the signing of a cooperation agreement between the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and PT Danantara Investment Management at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Central Jakarta, on Monday (4/5/2026). He revealed that the current waste accumulation in Jakarta reaches around 9,000 tonnes per day. Of that amount, approximately 87% still relies on the open dumping system at Bantargebang, whose capacity has long been exceeded. “If measured, Bantargebang is like a building of how many storeys? 16, 17 storeys,” he stated. Zulhas also emphasised that Jakarta’s waste problem is receiving special attention from President Prabowo Subianto. He admitted to frequently receiving calls from the President regarding waste management, particularly at Bantargebang. “Even Jakarta is receiving special attention from the President. We are called almost every week about waste, mainly Bantargebang,” he said. According to him, the situation cannot be allowed to drag on. The government is now pushing for accelerated waste processing through waste-to-energy technology or converting waste into electricity. One concrete step taken is the cooperation to build a Waste-to-Electricity Power Plant (PSEL) in DKI Jakarta. This project is expected to reduce reliance on open dumping and curb the volume of waste at Bantargebang. “This is a contract with millions of Jakarta residents. The waste that has been piling up and smelly will be turned into useful electricity,” he explained. Zulhas is optimistic that through the acceleration of this programme, Jakarta’s waste problem can be handled in the coming years. He even targets that within the next two years, the waste situation in the capital will be far more under control.