Environment Minister says Cikande residents affected by Cesium-137 have been relocated

Jakarta – Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said that residents of Cikande affected by radioactive cesium 137 (cs-137) have been relocated. Hanif said administrative problems in the resettlement process have been resolved. “Yes, it is clear. So last night,” said Hanif in response to bureaucratic issues, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (21/10/2025). SCROLL TO CONTINUE CONTENT Hanif said that radioactive contamination in the Cikande area was followed up with decontamination. Decontamination itself is the process of removing or neutralizing chemical agents so that they do not cause harm. “Yes, that’s it. Then follow up with disinfection,” he said. Previously, 248.4 tonnes of material exposed to the radionuclide Cesium-137 (Cs-137) was removed from 13 locations outside the Cikande Industrial Area, Serang Regency, Banten. The items were then stored in PT PMT’s interim storage to prevent the spread of radiation exposure to the surrounding environment. Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control (PPKL) of the Ministry of Environment (KLH) Ratio Ridho Sani said the transportation and storage process was carried out under the strict supervision of a joint team. “As of October 20, the total contaminated material lifted has reached 248.4 tons,” Ratio, quoted by Antara, said on Tuesday (10/21/2025). Of the 13 points, two locations, namely points A and D, were declared clear and clean. Meanwhile, the other two, namely me and C1 (L), are still in the cleaning process. Apart from outside industrial areas, the team carried out disinfection at 22 companies and 20 of them were declared clean. “Mitigation efforts are still being carried out by a joint team of KBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear) Gegana Brimob, TNI AD Nubika, BRIN, Bapeten, and the Serang Regency Government. We are ensuring that all decontamination activities are carried out according to safety standards,” said Ratio. Watch the video ‘Government Social Assistance for the Cikande Community’: (dwr/azh)