Four months of floods that have not subsided in West Bulak, Depok, the city government has been criticized by residents

Sarmili (69), a resident of Pasir Putih, Sawangan District, Depok walks slowly in the middle of the flood. He has just sorted used goods in the Pasir Putih area and will process them at the waste collection point in West Bulak.

"If I have to detour, I have to walk up to 3 kilometers. Therefore, it's better for me to brave through the 150 meters flood distance," said Sarmili.

Wearing boots, he slowly walked through the high water that reached his chin. The clothes he was wearing were soaking wet.

Also read: Garbage Blocks Rivers, Hundreds of Houses in Depok City Flooded

Sarmili, who works as a scavenger around the Cipayung Final Processing Site (TPA) on a daily basis, assesses that this flood has been very disturbing. In addition to inundating residential areas, there is very little garbage that she can collect.

"Because most of the rubbish slides to the bottom of the river," he said.

Sarmili stated that the flood that cut off the access road between Cipayung and Sawangan turned these two areas into ghost towns. "There are no more vehicles passing by because the flood is so deep," she said.

However, before the flood hit, this area was an alternative route for drivers who wanted to travel from the Cipayung area to Sawangan or vice versa. According to him, this flood occurred due to the landslide of garbage from the Cipayung landfill, which made the Sanggrahan River narrower.

"Previously, the width of the river could reach 7 meters, but now it has narrowed to only 2 meters," said Sarmili.

Anis (45), a resident of Bulak Barat, Cipayung District, said that as a result of the flooding that has inundated the area, several residents have had to evacuate or even permanently relocate.

"At least three heads of families have moved because their houses have been sinking for months," he said.

Apart from private residences, several shophouses, boarding houses, and a tofu factory are also abandoned. "Nowadays, the situation is quiet, not as lively as before," said Anis.

Also read: Sawangan Situ is Critical, Water Overflows After Continuous Rain

He remembers the large flood that occurred due to the levee breaking in the Bogor area in early March 2024. The water level is currently at 4 meters. At that time, assistance did come from the Depok City Government and even the ministry.

However, according to Anis, at present, residents do not only need aid, but also require the government's commitment to immediately repair infrastructure so that floods do not persist.

Even now, even though it recedes, the water is still stagnant. One excavator unit that was prepared is not yet operational.

Head of RT 004 RW 008, Naseri, revealed that due to the flooded connecting road, the Bulak Barat area has become like a ghost town. Before the floods hit as they do now, this city was always alive, even up to 24 hours a day. Now, there are rarely any vehicles passing through this route.

Due to this frustration, residents installed a banner that reads "This road is Dead". Yes, because indeed this road is no longer passable. This situation has also been conveyed to the Depok City Government, from the department to the Mayor. "However, there has been no response at all," said Naseri.

Therefore, we ask residents to be patient.

Cipayung's village head, Muhammad, refutes the statement. His team has been continuously monitoring the situation on the ground. However, resolving this issue does take time.

The issue that occurred in Bulak Barat has been reported to the Depok City Government. As a result, river normalization has become a priority program in the middle of this year.

A number of steps have been prepared, such as river normalization. The first step is to remove the garbage that causes sedimentation. The garbage, according to Muhammad, comes from the upstream of the river in Bogor. "Depok is downstream, so the garbage continues to pile up," he said.

The pile of garbage eventually clogged the flow of Kali Sanggrahan, and flooding occurred. However, short-term efforts have already been made. Several excavators have been prepared to transport the garbage so that the flood can gradually recede.

On the other hand, in the near future, there will be a construction of a 1.2-kilometer embankment to prevent garbage landslides that can narrow the capacity of water flow in the Sanggrahan River.

"Therefore, we ask residents to be patient," said Muhammad.

Actually, residents should not live by the riverbanks, let alone build houses there. But in reality, even without permission, there are still those who dare to build in those areas.

"This (flooding) disaster has certainly become a consequence," he said.