Ciujung River in Serang Suspected of Pollution: Black in Colour, Pungent Odour
The Ciujung River flow in Serang Regency, Banten Province, is suspected of being polluted. According to reports, the river water has turned deep black and emits a pungent odour.
The Banten Provincial Environmental and Forestry Service (DLHK) has intervened to conduct an investigation, focusing on three main aspects to fully uncover the waste pollution causing the contamination in the Ciujung River.
The Head of the Arrangement and Capacity Building Division of DLHK Banten, Wawan Wahyudi, explained that the department is responding to complaints from local residents. The agency is currently refining its initial analysis before a scheduled field inspection next week.
“The case in this river is cumulative in nature. Therefore, before going into the field, we are deepening three investigation focuses to ensure we identify the root cause,” he stated in Serang on Monday (22/6).
The three main aspects of the DLHK Banten handling focus include: water quality analysis (BOD and COD), where the DLHK is reviewing water sample records from 2024 and 2025. Preliminary analysis detects that Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) parameters in these waters are very high and potentially exceed permissible standards.
In identifying cumulative sources, the team is performing specific mapping to differentiate the contribution of pollutants. This investigation aims to determine the percentage of waste originating from domestic (household) activities compared to waste discharged from the industrial sector along the riverbanks.
Regarding the examination of water flow and sedimentation, the agency is studying the current volume and movement of the Ciujung River’s flow. The DLHK suspects that static water conditions are eliminating the natural flushing effect, which ultimately causes waste to continuously settle, thicken, and undergo severe sedimentation.
“Although the internal investigation is underway, we continue to encourage directly affected communities to submit official complaints immediately. Information from complainants is crucial as a basis for the agency’s administrative handling,” he added.