I Wayan Widiada, a local village official, told Kompas.com yesterday that there are simply no more room for garbage in the landfill. 

Widiada said piles of garbage continues to be dumped at the location without ever being processed, resulting in the most recent fire that started on Friday morning and was finally put out on Monday. The fire not only caused heavy smoke, but also resulted in congestion comprised of heavy garbage trucks in the area.

In a meeting with Bali Governor I Wayan Koster yesterday morning, officials reportedly agreed to enforce a rule in which garbage trucks from Denpasar are the only ones allowed to dump waste in TPA Suwung. 

“This garbage dump is experiencing an overload. For the short-term solution we are only allowing this facility to be used by those from Denpasar,” Widiada was quoted as saying. 

Waste buildup in TPA Suwung is partly a result of garbage coming from other areas in Bali, including Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan regencies. 

Koster has reportedly stepped up to address the issue, and suggested that each town and district should make their own landfill, as matters related to waste management in Indonesia are handled by district governments. 

In addition, waste from Gianyar, Badung, and Tabanan are temporarily forbidden from using TPA Suwung as a garbage dump, with the exception of Badung being allowed to dump only half of their usual capacity, at least for the next month. 

“After one month, Badung must already have a location to dump their own garbage,” Koster said. 

Koster also mentioned plans of possibly turning TPA Suwung into a waste-to-energy facility, though it seems that the plan is still on its initial stages.

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