August 12, 2024, 06:55 PM
Sacks containing household garbage were dumped at the Depok's mayor's office in West Java on Sunday (Aug. 11).
The dumping was carried out by members of Indonesia's ruling party Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to protest against the city's inadequate handling of waste disposal, Indonesian media Jakarta Globe and Detik reported.
Trucks with sacks
The staged protest saw three pickup trucks filled with sacks of garbage arriving at the Depok's mayor's office in the afternoon.
Protesters dressed in PDI-P's party shirts unloaded the sacks of garbage and dumped them in front of the mayor's office, as seen in videos circulating on social media.
Sejumlah kader PDIP mengirimkan tumpukan sampah depan kantor Wali Kota Depok pada Minggu, 12 Agustus 2024 . Ini mereka lakukan imbas tutupnya TPA Cipayung pic.twitter.com/9DUjpMFCIq
— ALEXPASEO》Youtube》Agi Dragon999 (@sugiant07971903) August 11, 2024
Trash collections delayed due to overcapacity in landfill
The trash collection across Depok has been delayed after the city's main landfill in Cipayung district collapsed due to overcapacity.
Ikravany Hilman, a PDI-P executive in Depok, told reporters that the waste management issue has not been handled well by the local government, which has been in position for 20 years.
"We gave opportunities [for local officials] to manage Depok city, including the issue of waste management, for 20 years. But the situation is still the same today. That's why we put [the garbage] there," said Ikravany.
"Meanwhile, the issue of trash was solved [and managed] in other parts [of Indonesia] using technology. In Surabaya [the trash] was converted into electricity, in Banyumas it was used as fuel."
Will be launching investigation: Depok Mayor
Depok Mayor Mohammad Idris responded on the same day (Aug. 11) and said he and his team would launch an investigation into the protest, Tribun News reported.
The investigation would include finding out if the sacks of trash dumped in front of the mayor's office were personal trash or trash collected from residents, and how many perpetrators were involved in the protest.
Depending on the findings, the acts could be regarded as a "provocateur offence", said Idris.
Commenting on the waste problem, Idris said that he had been waiting for assistance from the Ministry of Environment.
A waste processing machine was due to arrive at Depok this year and be operational next year, according to Idris.
Top image via @sugiant07971903/X
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