Ancol Canal Emitting Sewage Odour Similar to Human Waste, Evidence of Ineffective Law Enforcement

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The smell of waste resembling human faeces from the canals and drains in Jalan Karang Bolong Raya, Ancol, North Jakarta, is disturbing several residents.

“I’m really disturbed; this human faeces-like smell every time I pass by the canal or drain around here,” said one resident named Erna (27) when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Tuesday (31/3/2026).

Erna admitted that almost every time she passes through the area, she always smells an unpleasant odour from the canal or drain located along the roadside.

She suspects that the pungent aroma comes from waste dumped into the canal or drain.

“The smell is like waste, more than human faeces,” she said at the location on Tuesday.

Udin said that the smell from the canal and drain becomes even more pungent during the dry season and when the water level is low. Conversely, when it rains, the water in the canal flows more smoothly, so the smell is not as noticeable.

Environmental expert from the University of Indonesia (UI), Mahawan Karuniasa, assesses that the condition of the smelly canals and drains in Ancol is evidence of still weak law enforcement.

Mahawan explained that the government actually has various sanitation and wastewater treatment programmes to prevent canal pollution.

However, the capacity for control in the field is still not commensurate with the magnitude of the pollution load, especially in Jakarta.

As a result, most canals or rivers in Jakarta remain polluted with waste to this day.

This is caused by the water quality index in North Jakarta being among the lowest compared to other DKI Jakarta regions. Most water bodies in that area are in lightly to moderately polluted conditions.

Therefore, the pungent smell resembling human faeces from the canals and drains around Ancol should not be taken lightly, as it indicates serious pollution.