Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung visited Kepanduan Urban Forest Park in Penjaringan, North Jakarta on Thursday morning (11/12), following up on a recent sub-district meeting concerning illegal dumping across roughly 5,000 square meters of land in the vicinity.

Joined by the heads of the Environmental Agency and the Parks and City Forest Agency, Pramono instructed teams to swiftly clear the unauthorized waste accumulation.

"After inspecting the site alongside the Environmental Agency and Assistant Prof. Firli, it is clear that thorough, detailed action is needed to tackle this problem. My first decision is that this illegal dumping ground must be cleared out immediately," he expressed.

The cleanup process for the illegal waste piles is set to begin today. To prevent illegal dumping sites from reappearing, Pramono called for immediate tree planting to optimize the green open space function at Kepanduan Urban Forest Park.

Aside that, he instructed that fencing be installed around the urban forest park area.

"Thus, we can use it as an additional green open space facility for Jakarta. And third, I have requested that it be fenced off," he explained.

Reports from the Penjaringan Sub-district Head indicate that the illegal dumping occurred under the cover of night, consisting largely of commercial waste from hotels, restaurants, and cafes hauled in by private waste-hauling contractors.

He added that the Jakarta government will crack down on the violations by publicly exposing the waste disposal operators responsible for the unlawful dumping.

"This way, the hotels, restaurants, and cafes relying on these contractors will realize their waste is being dumped illegally—and causing a major nuisance," he added.

Beyond addressing the waste issue at Kepanduan Urban Forest Park, the Jakarta government will also revitalize the park, including repairing access roads, providing sports facilities, and renovating the children's playground.

He stated that the existence of the nearly 15-hectare Kepanduan Urban Forest Park provides significant benefits for Jakarta.

"To that end, I have instructed the Assistant for Development and Environment (Asbang)—following earlier requests to revitalize the park, roads, and other areas—that we have approved the plan. Second, we will also upgrade the sports and play facilities for children at this site," he concluded.