Residents Resume Fishing in Cisadane River After Pesticide Contamination Incident

Tangerang—A number of residents have returned to fishing along the banks of the Cisadane River in the Babakan area of Tangerang City, following a pesticide contamination incident that killed fish on the evening of Monday, 9 February 2026.

According to observations on Monday, 2 March 2026, several residents sat along the riverbank from early morning with fishing equipment. Some used conventional fishing rods, whilst others employed nets commonly used by fishermen to catch fish.

The river water appeared to flow calmly. No fish carcasses were visible floating on the surface as they had been immediately after the incident occurred. The river current remained stable and not rapid.

Didit, 62, a Babakan resident, stated that he had resumed fishing approximately a week prior.

“People started fishing again from last week. There are still fish, plenty of them,” Didit told Kompas.com at the location on Monday.

He acknowledged that when the contamination occurred, many fish died, including plecos and catfish. However, the river’s condition has since gradually improved. Fish have begun to reappear in the Cisadane River following the incident.

“The fish that died were bottom-dwelling species. Now they’re starting to come back—there are catfish, tilapia. They’re safe to consume too,” he said.

Regarding the pungent odour, Didit noted that the condition had disappeared over the past two weeks.

“There’s no smell anymore. It was even cleaned recently, with fish carcasses swept away and rubbish removed,” he said.

Another resident, Dede, reported that fishing activity had resumed widely and the situation had largely returned to normal, with fish populations remaining abundant.

According to him, the fish carcasses that had previously floated and been caught along the riverbanks were cleaned up within days of the incident.

“The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the fire service cleaned it up jointly. Everything was cleared within two or three days of the incident,” he explained.