Residents complain over flood
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)