Water Clogging in Kalideres Causes Odour and Road Damage

JAKARTA — Black, foul-smelling drainage water is flooding Jalan Satu Maret in Pegadungan subdistrict, Kalideres district, West Jakarta. The condition, which has persisted for more than two weeks, has not only damaged public road facilities but also severely disrupted residents’ comfort, triggered traffic congestion, and endangered the safety of passing motorists.

The stagnant water is strongly believed to be a consequence of leftover work from a clean water pipe excavation project conducted by PAM Jaya in the area, which has blocked the drainage channel.

Based on observations conducted on Monday, 2 March 2026, the darkened drainage water appeared to overflow and cover a large portion of the road surface. Motorcyclists and car drivers were forced to slow their vehicles considerably to navigate through the filthy water.

The situation has been worsened by damaged, crumbling, and peeling asphalt at the road’s edge as a result of continuous exposure to the flooding water.

The excavation project itself appeared to have been completed. Several excavation sites, which were square-shaped, appeared to have been sealed back with soil and cement. However, the project boundary markers or barriers that occupied road space have been left in place and have not been removed.

Meanwhile, directly adjacent to the excavation area, black drainage water was overflowing and accumulating in full over the concrete drainage channel.

Dodi, 64, a parking attendant at a local minimarket who works in the area daily, confirmed that the black drainage water flooding began since the pipe excavation project commenced. “It’s been a long time, more than two weeks, flooding started before Ramadan. The drainage water rose. This is foul-smelling black water from the drain. After they dug, it became blocked, it stopped flowing, ever since the excavation began,” Dodi explained when met at the location on Monday.

Although the pipe excavation work was closed and completed approximately a week ago, the stagnant water shows no signs of subsiding. “Even without rain, flooding still happens again. The water rises from the river, you see. The drain is full and overflowing. So rubbish gets stuck and blocks it,” he added.