Polluted River Water Used for Washing Forces Residents of Cikarang Bekasi to Suffer Itching and Diarrhoea

BEKASI, Kompas.com - A number of residents of Kampung Cabang Pintu Air, Karangasih Village, Cikarang Utara District, Bekasi Regency, say they frequently experience itching and diarrhoea after using the polluted river for daily needs. One resident, Rohaya (50), said she and her family are forced to continue using the river water because they have had no access to clean water for decades living in the area. ‘I’ve lived here for 25 years. When the water is really dirty it makes me sad. Sometimes the water even causes itching. Yesterday my family had diarrhoea,’ Rohaya told Kompas.com at the scene on Friday, 22 May 2026. She said she was surprised to see waste-cleaning activity in the river on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, because she was washing dishes at the time. ‘I was washing dishes. Usually residents wash in the morning,’ she said. Rohaya said, although she is used to using river water for daily activities, she often complains that the water is very dirty and smells like sewers. ‘When the water is bad, it smells like a septic tank, but we still use it. What else can we do? There is no water, so we just use what’s available,’ she said. For bathing, Rohaya sometimes has to stay at a relative’s house who has access to clean water. But for washing clothes and eating utensils, she continues to use river water. Rohaya stated that the environment around the river is increasingly worrying because waste keeps piling up, especially since the settlement is near the river mouth. Despite the limitations, Rohaya says she remains living in the area because she has no other place. She now lives in a rented house along the riverbank. ‘I’m still here because I have no place. Here I could face eviction,’ she said. Financial constraints also mean her family cannot afford to install a water pump or buy clean water for daily needs. ‘We can’t even afford to pay for a water pump,’ Rohaya added.