New Heritage Flag Park Opens, but Artificial Lake is Smelly and Black

Visitors to Taman Bendera Pusaka in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, are complaining about the condition of the artificial lake in the middle of the park, which is black and emits an unpleasant odour.

The lake spans the park area, previously known as Taman Langsat, and flows into the Taman Leuser area.

Nevertheless, there are eight swans swimming in two sections of the lake.

Some visitors were seen approaching to watch the swans, with some even throwing biscuits that the birds chased.

“Yes, it smelled when I passed by earlier; it’s quite disturbing,” said Augita when met by Kompas.com at the location on Sunday (29/3/2026).

Augita expressed regret over the smelly lake in a park that otherwise looks beautiful. Moreover, the park is frequented by children.

A similar complaint came from another visitor, Danar (27), who came with his younger sibling.

He said he was pleased with the park’s facilities, especially the children’s play area. However, the odour from the lake somewhat disrupts the comfort.

“It’s a shame the place is nice, with children’s toys too, but the lake smells,” Danar said when met separately.

Danar hopes the lake can be cleaned soon so that visitors feel more comfortable.

In response, the supervisor of Taman Bendera Pusaka, Budi Purbadi, explained that the lake’s construction is not yet fully complete.

Currently, the Jakarta Water Resources Agency (Dinas SDA DKI Jakarta) is building a wastewater treatment installation (IPAL) within the park area.

“So it’s not final yet. Now it’s not dirty anymore, but the water is black. But it should be clean later; we’re still waiting for the IPAL to finish,” Budi explained to Kompas.com over the phone.

However, Budi could not confirm when the IPAL construction would be completed, as it is a project of the Water Resources Agency.

He only assured that the lake’s condition would be cleaner after the construction is finished.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung assured that the lake’s water quality would improve with the completion of the park’s facilities.

“So the water on the surface will be clear like in Korea, because the dirty water goes underground. So, it will be clear,” Pramono said during the inauguration of Taman Bendera Pusaka on Saturday (14/3/2026).