PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government has confirmed its commitment to preserving the Babakan Siliwangi City Forest while seeking the best solution regarding the existence of the Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST) in the area.

The Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan, directly inspected the location and had a dialogue with artists and cultural figures who felt disturbed by the presence of the TPST in the Babakan Siliwangi area on (24/3/2025).

Farhan emphasized that TPST is still very important for the city of Bandung, especially in facing the surge in waste ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

However, he understands the concerns of artists and cultural figures who consider TPST to disrupt the function of Babakan Siliwangi as a space for arts and nature conservation.

"As a city manager, I have to read and capture the community's concerns. Artists and cultural figures see Babakan Siliwangi as a home for work, expression, and contemplation," he said.

"So, when there is a TPST that is considered disturbing, of course this becomes our concern. My visit here aims for us to have the same understanding, to be on the same frequency," he added.

Farhan explained that a long-term solution would be sought so that the existence of TPST would not conflict with the function of the city forest.

"In an environment as good as this, there must be a more cultural waste management effort. We must think of innovation so that waste management continues without sacrificing aesthetics and environmental sustainability," he continued.

As a form of involvement in creative dialogue, Farhan was invited by artist Tisna Sanjaya to respond to this issue through sketches. He promised to continue communicating with artists and the community to find the best solution.

"I deliberately dated this sketch according to today, as a form of commitment, this year we will try to improve together," he added.

Artist Tisna Sanjaya expressed his concern about the impact of the existence of TPST which is considered to damage aesthetics and reduce the function of urban forests.

"Babakan Siliwangi is part of Sundanese culture and history. Trash should be placed in a more appropriate location, not here," he said.

Head of the Bandung City Environmental Service, Dudi Prayudi explained that the Babakan Siliwangi TPST is currently capable of processing around 5 tons of waste per day, with some of it being processed into waste-processed fuel, Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) for the textile industry.
This capacity is still far from sufficient to handle the city's waste production of 1,000 tons per day.

"We realize that the capacity of the TPST here is still far from sufficient. Currently, only about 30 percent of the total waste can be processed in various TPSTs in Bandung. The rest still has to be sent to the Final Disposal Site (TPA), which has limited capacity," explained Dudi.

He also mentioned the increasing challenges of waste management ahead of Eid al-Fitr, when the volume of waste tends to increase significantly.

"Every year, the trend of waste always increases before Eid. This is a challenge for us, because in addition to the limitations of TPST, the processing capacity at TPA is also limited. Therefore, we must find alternative solutions so that waste does not pile up and create a worse environmental impact," he said.

Currently, the city of Bandung has five TPSTs in operation, namely in Babakan Siliwangi, Tegallega, Nyengseret, Cicukang, and Gedebage.

"We cannot immediately close this TPST, because currently its role is still very crucial. However, in the future, we will look for a better solution, both in terms of location and waste processing technology," he concluded. (Bandung City Communication and Information Service/Fauziah)