Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - Banjarmasin City Government in South Kalimantan has declared an emergency waste response status due to the closure of Basirih landfill by the Environment Minitry as of February 1, 2025.
Mayor H Ibnu Sina here on Thursday said that he issued a waste emergency response letter to respond to the sanction so that the waste can be handled optimally.
The mayor has held a ccordination meeting on emergency response status with all stakeholders, including heads of sub-district, heads of urban villages, as well as environmental activists at the City Hall, Wednesday night (February 5, 2025).
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The meeting discussed various concrete efforts and steps as short-term and long-term solution.
Ibnu Sina disclosed that the Banjarbakula Regional Landfill in Banjarbaru City allows only 105 tons waste to dispose.
"Or only about 18 percent of the total garbage of the city daily waste," he informed.
Banjarmasin City produces household and other waste reaching 600 to 650 tons.
"41 tons are managed by sorters spread across Banjarmasin, including waste bank and recycling centers, the rest must be disposed to the final disposal (TPA)," he said.
The mayor acknowledged that the sanction by the ministry raised many concern that large piles of rubbish would overflow throughout temporary disposals and street corners of the city over the last few days.
"There will be extraordinary (waste) buildup) if we don't do anything. Several action will be taken, the most principle is asking sub-district and urban village to place sorting sites in every urban village, only then will the remaining of waste to be taken to the regional landfill," he said.
This condition, said Ibnu Sina, is not only experienced by Banjarmasin, but also a number of other districts/cities throughout Indonesia.
"There are 336 TPAs with an open-dumping model like this in Indonesia, so the problems faced by other cities are the same, including our neighbor Banjar District, Barito Kuala District which also be closed," katanya.
Ibnu Sina said he will coordinate with the Governor of South Kalimantan H Muhidin regarding operational hours of Banjarbakula Landfill asking for adjustment, so that waste deliveries from Banjarmasin could be after 4 pm to 10 pm.
"We are also trying to ckoordinate to the Environment Miniter to ask for relief so we can dispose the waste at Basirih TPA temporarily, even though the chance is small," he said.
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