Jakarta, Oct. 20 -- Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq on Monday urged stronger action to tackle Indonesia's worsening waste crisis after researchers discovered microplastics in rainwater falling in Jakarta.

He said the finding underscored the urgent need to end open dumping practices at final waste disposal sites (TPA) across the country.

"How can there not be microplastics when all the waste is just piled up? Bantargebang, for example, certainly contributes significantly to microplastic pollution," Nurofiq said in Jakarta.

He added that the discovery of microplastics was unsurprising given Indonesia's continued reliance on open dumping sites where waste is left unprocessed and exposed to the elements.

Jakarta's waste is sent ...