Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - The City Government of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, got a green light from the Ministry of Environment to fix the Basirih final waste processing site (TPAS), two months after it was closed by the ministry.
Banjarmasin Mayor H Muhammad Yamin HR here on Saturday said that the ministry had responded the city's request letter to fix the Basirih landfill.
"We receive a response letter from the Ministry of Environment, which allows us fix Basirih TPAS, but not to dump waste," he said.
The ministry's response was said to be a form of enthusiasm for handling the waste emergency in the city, which occurred due to the closure of Basirih TPAS.
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"The waste is still dumped in the Banjarbakula Regional Landfill, while we fix the condition here. We are committed not to do open dumping but sanitary landfill," he pointed out.
Yamin said that the Basirih landfill is allowed to be opendd to fix the condition. "The Ministry allows us to open the sealed line with the condition to repair the landfill and its leachate channels, this is what we will coordinate," he said.
The Basirih landfill, he said, will be leveled and re-arranged. After that, greening will be carried out by planting tree seedlings in collaboration with the South Kalimantan Environement Office.
He also informed that the arrangement of Basirih landfill is also a preparation for welcoming the arrival of Director General of Human Settlement (Dirjen Cipta Karya) who is scheduled to review Basirih lanfdill on April 17, 2025.
"I have communicated with the ministry, especially Dirjen Cipta Karya who will visit South Kalimantan, especially Banjarmasin to review the Basirih final disposal site and probably review several Integrated Waste Processing Facilities (TPST), sites for waste-reducing, reusing, and recycling (TPS 3R), and Recyclng Center (PDU). We prepare, we will show, we are serious in handling this waste problem," he said.
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