Environment Agency Comments on Medical Waste in Jakarta Bay
Translator
Dewi Elvia Muthiariny
Editor
Markus Wisnu Murti
Jumat, 5 Februari 2021 19:39 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Environment Agency spokesperson Yogi Ikhwan said the pollution in Jakarta Bay, which was caused by medical waste, was an old issue. He made the statement in response to a study result that used last year's data.
“That's an old issue,” said Yogi on Friday, February 5.
The COVID-19 Handling Task Force earlier highlighted potentially infectious waste that polluted Jakarta Bay. Researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), and the Open University (UT) discovered waste of face masks and PPE contaminated the estuaries of Marunda and Cilincing rivers heading towards the bay.
Yogi explained that his agency had placed temporary disposal sites (TPS) for toxic and hazardous waste (B3 waste) in every region of the capital since 2018.
According to him, each city has one TPS for B3 Waste equipped with a special fleet to transport waste, including a standard box truck to transport B3 waste and a motorbike cart.
However, Yogi stopped short of responding to the issue that medical waste was still found in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in Jakarta Bay. “Jakarta has the best management for B3 medical waste,” he claimed.
Read: Jakarta Bay at Risk of Medical Waste Infestation, Says COVID Task Force
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