Residents complain over flood

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Kapuk subdistrict in West Jakarta called on city authorities on Wednesday to immediately solve the high level of sea water which has flooded their area for years.

Locals said the constant presence of sea water had damaged buildings and produced an unpleasant odor in the neighborhood. The situation becomes the worst during the rainy season, they said.

The sea level in some parts of the area is higher than the ground, the people added.

"Floods here occur even during the dry season. Even a heavy rain in the higher elevation of Bogor in West Java can leave us with a flood," a resident of Jl. Kapuk Poglar, Mustofa, 34, said.

Residents placed sandbags around their property in order to protect their houses and factories from the water.

Mustofa and other Kapuk residents said the unfavorable conditions began in the early 1980s, following the massive construction of factories and warehouses in the area built without care for the environment.

They used to fill in their foundations with tons of soil and it blocked the water, the residents said.

Bule, another resident, said the locals suffered for years in silence without protesting because they knew the Jakarta administration was reluctant to hear any complaints from people like them.

"I hope the authority will dredge the nearby Kali Angke river to allow the water to flow properly and, hopefully, free us from this flood," he said.

Bule said local residents suffered more due to a nearby pig slaughterhouse which belongs to city-owned Dharma Jaya company.

"The water is mixed with pig excrement, leaving a repugnant odor in the air," he said.

Located about seven kilometers from Jakarta Bay, Jl. Kapuk Poglar is near crowded Jl. Daan Mogot, which connects the capital with Tangerang and is home to thousands of factories.

The residents of Kapuk Poglar also face problems of air and water pollution, which has resulted from the factories.

The water swamps the busy but narrow street of Jl. Kapuk Poglar every day, leaving no area for pedestrians. (ind)