Enviro News Asia, South Tangerang — Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, on Wednesday led a large-scale emergency waste management operation under the Indonesia ASRI Movement (Safe, Healthy, Clean, and Beautiful) in South Tangerang City.
Mobilising more than 4,000 personnel, the operation marked a concrete follow-up to directives issued by President Prabowo Subianto, who has instructed consistent nationwide action to strengthen environmental cleanliness and sustainable waste management.
The decisive intervention comes amid mounting urban waste challenges in South Tangerang, where daily waste generation has reached 1,029 tonnes. Of this volume, approximately 428 tonnes—around 41.54 percent—remain inadequately managed. Minister Hanif stressed that the waste emergency cannot be allowed to persist and requires seamless coordination between the central government, local administrations, and the private sector to achieve Indonesia’s target of 100 percent waste management by 2029.
“Following the directives of President Prabowo Subianto through the National Indonesia ASRI Movement, all levels of government—from central to local—are required to consistently carry out environmental clean-up and waste management efforts. Waste management operations fall under the authority of regional leaders as stipulated in Law No. 18 of 2008, and therefore demand the support of all stakeholders. Beyond education and capacity building, law enforcement must be strengthened, including sanctions against business entities and residential areas that are capable of managing their own waste but fail to do so,” Minister Hanif said.
The Indonesia ASRI operation in South Tangerang consolidated the efforts of the mayor’s office, the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), local government agencies, as well as district and sub-district administrations. Thousands of sanitation workers and volunteers were deployed simultaneously across nine high-activity locations, including Ciputat Market, the Serpong Ring Road area, and public spaces in Pamulang.
The Ministry reaffirmed the implementation of Law No. 18 of 2008 as the central legal framework guiding the operation. Under the law, local governments hold operational authority, provincial governments oversee supervision, while KLH/BPLH strengthens national policy instruments and environmental control mechanisms. This multi-level governance approach aims to distribute responsibility beyond local governments by involving businesses and residential areas in independent waste management.
KLH/BPLH’s long-term strategy prioritises waste reduction at source and the strengthening of regional waste management infrastructure. Through the Indonesia ASRI Movement, the government seeks to go beyond symbolic actions by fostering a disciplined culture of environmental governance. Continuous monitoring and firm law enforcement will remain key instruments to ensure cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments. (*)
