Palembang, KOTABARI.COM – The issue of garbage, particularly in Palembang City, is garnering increasing attention every day. It not only clogs the streets but also emits unpleasant odors that disrupt the surrounding environment.
Especially in densely populated residential areas, such as Talang Kelapa and surrounding areas on Lubuk Bakung Street, there is only one garbage depot located behind the elite Citra Grand City residential complex.
This garbage depot is not only filled with household waste but also adorned with posters and banners reading “Do Not Dispose of Garbage Here” as it is situated on private land.
Nur Aini, a garbage collector at the site, explained that this depot has been in operation for the past four years and often relocates.
“The amount of waste here decreases every day as it is collected by garbage trucks and taken to the Maskerebet Waste Disposal Site,” she said on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
Wahyudi, a resident of the Revari housing complex, explained that he personally disposes of household waste approximately every three days due to the absence of waste collection services in his neighborhood.
“We don’t have garbage collectors, so we have to dispose of our waste here because there is no waste disposal site,” he explained.
Sariansyah Ismail, the district head of Alang Alang Lebar Palembang, explained that residents resort to disposing of garbage in depots that often relocate due to the lack of waste disposal sites in residential areas, including elite residential areas behind Talang Kelapa.
“Alang Alang Lebar District only has one waste disposal site and three garbage depot points. We have tried to obtain land grants for waste disposal sites but have been hindered by existing regulations,” he said.
Currently, one garbage truck, a pickup truck, and a bentor are still operational every day to handle garbage in the Alang Alang Lebar District of Palembang.
“We also have a waste recycling program, but it is currently not functioning. We hope that with public awareness of segregating household waste, it can be reused,” he added.