As a sprawling satellite city, Depok in West Java produces 800 tons of waste every day and it all ends up in Cipayung landfill, the city’s dump site, which has exceeded its maximum capacity.

Hundreds of garbage trucks go back and forth from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to dump trash collected from 11 districts across Depok. Dozens of heavy-equipment vehicles also work hard to pile up and compress trash. The routine has resulted in 20 meter high mountains of garbage.

The trash hills have raised concerns over safety and fears they might collapse one day.

Depok Environment Agency sanitation division head Iyay Gumelar said the city had started paying more attention to the landfill as it might pose a danger to residents.

“We are afraid it will collapse and harm the residents,” Iyay said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.

Aman, a local whose house is near the landfill, said a garbage landslide had occurred several months ago. The piles of trash crashed into and broke a wall dividing the landfill and residential area nearby.

“Thank God it didn’t collapse on our houses, thanks to bamboo plants near the wall,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Aman cast fear over a potential avalanche of trash like the one that happened in Leuwigajah landfill in Bandung, West Java in 2005 when mountains of trash collapsed and killed 157 people.

Aman also said the landfill emanated an even fouler smell during the rainy season. Such weather and stink attracts more insects, which makes living near the landfill even more uncomfortable.

Reza Maulawarman, a Cipayung landfill staff member, said the landfill’s management was working hard to prevent any incident. However, he admitted that the mountains of waste sometimes collapsed, especially during rainy days when trash from the top slides to the ground.

He acknowledged the final dump site was overloaded but the city had no other option.

He also explained that below the trash hills, there used to be three large waste pools used to dump trash.

“But now the pools have disappeared and become mountains,” he told the Post at the site.

The Depok administration has planned to reduce its dependence on Cipayung landfill as the only final dump site. The city is in talks with the West Java provincial administration to operate a new landfill in Nambo, Klapanunggal district, Bogor regency.

The administration has reportedly allocated Rp 10 billion (US$687,920) to cover the operational costs of the dump site.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said last week as reported by tempo.co that the administration planned to hold a groundbreaking ceremony soon for the Nambo landfill and aimed for it to be fully operational by 2020. It will be used by four administrations, namely Depok, Bogor regency, Bogor municipality and South Tangerang of Banten province.

Once completed, the Depok administration planned to dump 300 tons of waste at the new site daily.

“As there will be less waste transported here, we plan to revitalize the Cipayung landfill. We won’t close the landfill,” Reza said, noting that the landfill employs 38 locals.

The 5.2 hectare Cipayung landfill, which has been operating since 1984, will be transformed into a landfill mine that will recover valuable materials, such as metals like aluminum or copper and combustible material like wood.

Another local resident named Aat expressed hope that Cipayung landfill will continue to operate even with the new site in Nambo. Aat has worked as a garbage truck driver at the landfill for the past 10 years.

“Despite the sickening smell, many people make a living here. I hope nothing will change although the city will transfer almost half of the waste to Nambo next year,” said the Cipayung resident.

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