JAKARTA – The Regent of Pemalang, Anom Widiyantoro, alongside the Head of the Pemalang Environmental Agency, Wiji Mulyati, attended a meeting in Jakarta with Indonesia’s Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, on Monday, August 4, 2025. The discussions centered on the latest policies for the Adipura 2025 program.
During the meeting, Minister Hanif Faisol emphasized that waste management is now the primary metric for the Adipura assessment. A key prerequisite is the complete absence of illegal dump sites within a regency or city.
“If this prerequisite is not met, the team will not proceed with the Adipura assessment. The first rule is that there will be no more illegal dump sites,” Minister Hanif stated firmly.
In response, Regent Anom expressed Pemalang Regency’s readiness to comply with the new policies. He explained that the Adipura paradigm has shifted, moving from a general assessment to a concrete evaluation of waste management from upstream to downstream.
“One of the main Adipura criteria is the existence of a Final Disposal Site (TPA) that only accommodates residue and does not use an open dumping system,” Anom elaborated.
Anom further noted that Pemalang has already begun implementing community-based waste management. A roadmap has been prepared to achieve the target of 100% waste management by 2029.
“Everything starts at the household level. If the community can sort and manage waste from its source, this will be a crucial point in the Adipura assessment,” he added.
While not aiming for the top Adipura or Adipura Kencana awards in the near future, Regent Anom hopes Pemalang can escape the “dirty city” category.
“Our target is to be realistic first. We don’t want Pemalang to be branded a ‘dirty city.’ That could happen if there are still illegal dumps and people dispose of trash carelessly. Public awareness is the key,” he said.
