Indonesia Urges Protection of Landfill Site Amidst Fire

Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry, Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono, has emphasized the need to safeguard a five-hectare site at the Jatiwaringin landfill, which is currently ablaze. This land is designated for a crucial waste-to-energy project (PSEL) for the Tangerang Raya agglomeration.

"We want to ensure the Tangerang Regency Government protects that land from being used for other purposes so that President Prabowo's waste-to-energy program can proceed as planned," Diaz stated during his visit to the fire site. He stressed that the allocated land, totaling five hectares plus an additional two hectares for supporting facilities, must remain dedicated to the PSEL project.

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We want to ensure the Tangerang Regency Government protects that land from being used for other purposes so that President Prabowo's waste-to-energy program can proceed as planned.

The landfill fire presents significant challenges, with firefighting efforts complicated by the nature of the waste. Diaz likened the situation to peatland fires, noting that the blaze could reignite from below even if the surface appears extinguished due to the presence of methane gas (CH4), which poses an explosion risk.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is deploying a Mobile Monitoring System to assess air quality impacts and using drones to map hotspots. Coordination with Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is also underway, as the landfill is located approximately 12 kilometers from the runway. Residents within a 1.7-kilometer radius are advised to avoid the area, and local authorities are preparing for potential evacuations of nearby settlements due to the dense population west of the landfill.

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Perhaps on the surface it looks extinguished, but underneath there is still fire. It can burn at any time because there is CH4 (methane gas) which has the potential to cause an explosion.