Debris and Tree Trunks Block Ciputat River, Suspected Cause of Tangsel Floods

TANGERANG SELATAN - Debris and tree trunks were found blocking the Ciputat River in South Tangerang during a patrol by volunteers on Sunday (31 May 2026).

The four-kilometre patrol was conducted to identify the cause of recurring floods in several areas of South Tangerang.

“The debris isn’t just plastic; some residents may have felled trees and sent the trunks into the river, causing them to become lodged along its course,” said Cipayung Village Head Dini Nurlianti during a site visit on Sunday.

To facilitate debris removal, volunteers installed two trash nets downstream of the patrol area. Collected debris is directed towards the nets before being transported to land.

“One net is at Pondok Payung Mas Housing Estate and the other at Ciputat’s Pondok Hijau Housing Estate,” Dini said.

In addition to clearing the river, volunteers also documented various conditions found on-site. These findings will be compiled for analysis to identify issues along the Ciputat River’s course.

One of the activity’s initiators, Nia, said the patrol was conducted to find answers for the recurring floods despite existing mitigation efforts.

She added that the effort is still in its early stages, so the main cause of flooding in areas traversed by the Ciputat River cannot yet be determined.

“This is just the first step. Once we have the data, we can assist the government in determining the next steps. For now, we’re still gathering data and cleaning up the debris,” Nia said.

Around 200 volunteers from South Tangerang, Tangerang City, and Jakarta participated in the Ciputat River patrol. They were divided into teams to inspect various points along the river. In addition to residents and volunteers, the activity involved BPBD (Disaster Management Agency), Environment Agency, Satpol PP (municipal police), academics, and environmental groups.