Elderly Complain About Flooding in West Jakarta: Black and Smelly Water Carries Diseases!

Flooding from an overflowing river has inundated residential areas in RT 03 RW 06, Cengkareng Barat Ward, West Jakarta, with residents complaining that it carries diseases, especially for children and the elderly.

For more than a month, locals in the area have been forced to live alongside black-coloured floods teeming with mosquito larvae and emitting a foul odour.

This situation is caused by the river flow being obstructed for the construction of a water gate project on the side of the Outer Ring Road.

“It’s disruptive, with the smell and diseases. This water really stinks and brings illnesses. Coughing, I’ve been coughing non-stop for a month,” said Syarif when met by Kompas.com at the location on Wednesday (6/5/2026).

An empty plot of land near his home, previously dry soil, has now transformed into something resembling a lake due to the overflowing river water pooling there.

The flooding, reaching heights of 30 to 40 centimetres, smells because it originates from the canal and is also filled with rubbish.

He even slipped while carrying out activities around his house due to the remnants of the canal water.

“This is slippery, I fell. With flooding like this, it’s dirty and slippery,” he said.

He hopes the government will quickly address the issue that residents have been complaining about for a month.

“I just want things to be comfortable again, back to normal. No smell, no rubbish so it doesn’t cause diseases,” he said.

“Meanwhile, in the surrounding community, there are stunted babies, sick people, and the elderly. This isn’t healthy anymore. Not to mention for already ill children, even healthy people can get sick,” complained Lia.

In fact, the flood also damaged the oxygen tank belonging to her child who suffers from an autoimmune disease.

As a result, she had to spend more money to buy temporary medication and a new tank.