Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Environment asserted that it will proceed with legal enforcement against regions that have failed to take maximum action in addressing the local waste crisis.Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, in Jakarta on Wednesday, stated that his ministry has spent the past year providing guidance to improve waste management and resolve emerging issues.”We are still striving to handle the issue. From an enforcement standpoint, our obligation to uphold the law remains unchanged,” he said when asked about the waste crisis occurring in several areas, such as South Tangerang.”We have already initiated several legal enforcement processes for cases where the waste has become highly visible,” he added.The measure is taken to push regional governments to implement more effective policies, particularly regarding budget allocation and human resources preparation, to ensure proper waste management.This is deemed critical since the responsibility for managing waste lies at the district and city levels.The Ministry of Environment recently completed its Adipura environmental assessments, which were conducted until the end of 2025.Minister Nurofiq revealed that these evaluations identified 149 districts and cities categorized as “Dirty Cities” due to their lack of responsiveness in handling waste problems.”Thus, we will ask for further clarification from regional governments. If there is evidence of negligence or intentional misconduct, those responsible will have to face the legal consequences,” he stressed.According to the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN) of the Ministry of Environment, as of January 14, 2026, as many as 192 districts and cities across Indonesia have reported their waste generation in 2025, which reached 19.17 million tons in total.