Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq acknowledged that he was still evaluating the Basirih final disposal sites (TPA) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, after it was sealed and given administrative sanctions due to waste management did not comply with regulations.
"We are conducting comprehensive evaluation related to its management, not to let it to open but to violate the rule again," he said in Banjarmasin, Saturday.
On February 1, 2025 the ministry sealed and stopped the operation of the TPA for using open dumping system.
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The landfill which is managed by the city's Environment Office was considered to have violated Article 29 paraghraph (1) letter f Law No. 18/2008 concerning Waste Management which strictly prohibits waste handling by open dumping at the landfill.
Along with the ongoing evaluation, Hanif is pushing for better waste management in Banjarmasin which produces 600 tons of waste per day.
He emphasized the cheapest strategy, namely by reducing waste beginning from every person or area.
Hanif asked the Mayor of Banjarmasin Muhammad Yamin to not hesitate to enforce regulation, for example requiring market areas, housing, hotels, restaurants, and others to handle their own waste.
"There are a lot of technological facilities for sorting waste, for composing and so on. This must be done to reduce waste to the final disposal," he explained.
If it can be done, he said, then 15 percent of waste production in Banjarmasin can be reduced and ultimately have a positive impact on the operation of Basirih TPA which has been unable to withstand the burden of mouintains of waste since 1997.
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