South Tangerang Landslide Suspected Triggered by Lack of Drainage

SOUTH TANGERANG, KOMPAS.com — Residents suspect that the landslide which occurred on Jalan Salak, Pondok Benda, Pamulang, South Tangerang, in early April 2026 was triggered by the absence of drainage channels on the upper part of the slope. This condition caused rainwater to flow strongly and erode the soil until it collapsed. One local resident, Budi (not his real name), said the landslide happened when heavy rain hit the area around 2:00 PM WIB. “That’s because there’s no drainage up there. The rainwater ends up getting absorbed a lot, making the soil wet and shifting, thus causing the landslide,” Budi said when met by Kompas.com at the location on Monday (27/4/2026). The landslide material temporarily covered areas around residents’ homes. Budi said the cleaning was done independently by the residents because they were worried about access being blocked for longer. “On 4 April, we (cleaned it ourselves), no one helped,” he said. He added that officials from Pondok Benda Sub-district came to the location on the day of the incident, followed by personnel from the South Tangerang BPBD the next day. However, to date, there has been no further handling to anticipate follow-up landslides. “There’s no handling yet. At the time of the landslide, the department officials came just to check and take photos,” he said. Although there have been no follow-up landslides, Budi admitted that the water flow from the upper slope is still strong every time it rains. This condition has the potential to trigger another landslide if not addressed immediately. Therefore, he hopes the government will soon repair the landslide site and build drainage so that water does not directly seep into the soil, which can weaken the cliff structure. Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the South Tangerang Water Resources, Road Infrastructure, and Construction Agency (DSDABMBK), Kemal Fauzie, said his side would visit and conduct checks at the incident location. This is done to confirm the landslide point and the authority for handling it. “We received the report, we’ll check it first, because we need to see whose authority it is,” Kemal said when contacted by Kompas.com via WhatsApp.