TULUNGAGUNG – Bago Waste Disposal Site has triggered complaints from residents after piles of garbage overflowed for nearly a month. Strong odors and large flies now threaten public health.
People living near the temporary waste collection point, known locally as TPS Bago, say the problem keeps getting worse. Household waste and trash from street vendors continue to pile up every day.
Residents fear the condition could cause disease, especially stomach problems. They worry because flies from the garbage often land on food inside nearby homes.
Palupi, a resident who lives near the waste depot, said the situation has disturbed daily life for families around the area.
“For one month, it has been like this. The flies are very big and they are everywhere, morning and evening,” she said on Monday (April 27).
“What we fear most is stomach disease, especially when flies from the garbage land on food. If this continues, it will be very risky,” she added.
Residents said garbage collection slowed because operational problems disrupted the waste transport trucks.
According to Palupi, one driver explained that fuel access problems caused the delays. The diesel barcode system failed, so the truck could not collect waste every day.
“The driver said the fuel barcode could not be processed, so the truck could not collect waste every day. Sometimes it only comes once every four days,” she said.
She added that workers also lacked enough funds to buy diesel fuel. Meanwhile, garbage from homes and street vendors kept increasing.
The problem became worse because workers removed the waste container for repairs. Without the container, trash spread across the area and overflowed more easily.
“At least if the container was still there, the overflow would not be this bad. Now there is no container, and collection is uncertain, so the trash spreads everywhere,” she explained.
Acting Bago Village Head Yeni Ekasari responded to the complaints and promised immediate action.
She said the village administration coordinated with district officials and the Tulungagung Environmental Agency (DLH) to solve the problem quickly.
The village office, DLH officers, and street vendors will carry out a joint cleanup operation on Tuesday morning (April 28).
They hope this cleanup will reduce health risks and improve the condition of the area while workers repair the waste container.
“Based on communication with the district office and DLH, Bago Village together with DLH and street vendors will work together tomorrow morning to clean the TPS area so it can return to normal,” she said.
Officials estimate the container repair will take one to two weeks. During that time, the village administration asked residents and vendors to keep the area clean and follow waste disposal rules.
Meanwhile, Ginanjar Eko Santoso, Head of Waste Management at DLH, gave a different response.
He said no major problems affect waste handling in Bago.
“Everything is under control,” he said.