Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Vice Minister of Environment/Vice Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) Diaz Hendropriyono conducted a direct inspection of the Jatiwaringin Final Waste Processing Site (TPA) fire in Mauk district, Tangerang Regency, on Saturday (7/4/2026). The emergency response visit was undertaken to ensure optimal field management while reinforcing national preparedness for all regional heads to anticipate surging fire risks at waste management infrastructure across Indonesia due to the extreme El Niño climate phenomenon.
“Minister Jumhur has issued a circular to regional heads to prepare. The WMO has already warned that this El Niño will be even more severe, meaning we must anticipate the potential for other TPA fires across Indonesia. The circular details what regional heads need to do in their respective areas to anticipate El Niño,” Vice Minister Diaz said.
Diaz confirmed that the primary priority is the safety of residents living around the Jatiwaringin TPA in Mauk district, Tangerang Regency.
“It is emphasized that safety is also KLH’s priority. Wind direction can change at any moment — currently blowing east, but tomorrow it could shift west, and if it does there are many settlements in that direction. We have also spoken with the Regent, who has taken steps to prepare for respiratory illness checks and evacuation handling when wind direction changes,” he said.
The fire at Jatiwaringin TPA, first detected by nearby residents on June 28, 2026 and peaking on June 30, entered its fifth day at the time of the inspection. Diaz warned that extinguishing it is not straightforward.
“This fire has been burning for five days and extinguishing it is genuinely difficult. Its characteristics resemble a peatland fire, where the surface may appear extinguished but fire remains beneath, ready to reignite at any time. There is also methane present, which carries an explosion risk,” he explained.
Diaz stressed the importance of community safety, including that of workers and waste collectors at the site, and urged nearby residents not to approach the burning area. “We are concerned about the safety of workers and waste collectors here, and also the surrounding community. Please do not treat this TPA fire as a spectacle — this is not entertainment. The closer residents get, the greater the risk of illness of any kind,” he said.
KLH/BPLH has deployed a range of measures to support the extinguishing effort, including drone-based monitoring coordinated with airport and Indonesian Air Force authorities, and two mobile monitoring systems tracking pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM10, and PM2.5, which have already exceeded quality standards.
Diaz also expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Forestry for deploying 30 Manggala Agni personnel to assist in extinguishing the blaze, noting their expertise in fighting peatland fires, which shares characteristics with this TPA fire, making surface water application alone insufficient and requiring injection techniques to reach burning areas beneath the surface.
Closing his remarks, Diaz confirmed that the President’s waste-to-energy (WTE) priority program will continue, urging the Regent to ensure land allocated for WTE is not used for other purposes. “We must support this very important program of the President and ensure it is continuously maintained by the regent for the program’s success,” he said. (*)
