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t least four of the existing nine small lakes, or situ in newly formed South Tangerang municipality have gone missing due the administration's lack of control over illegal occupation by local residents and housing developers.

Kusparmadi, a planology lecturer at the Indonesian Institute of Technology (ITI), who recently made an inventory of the lakes, said there were originally nine small lakes.

They are Situ Tujuh Muara and Situ Kedaung in Pamulang district; Situ Parigi in Pondok Aren district; Situ Rawa Kutub in North Serpong district; Situ Gintung, Situ Legoso, Situ Rumpang, Situ Bungur and Situ Rawa Antap in Ciputat district.

"After we made an inventory of the lakes through satellite imaging, we found Situ Legoso, Situ Rumpang, Situ Rawa Kutub and Situ Rawa Antap no longer existed," he said, adding the lakes could no longer been seen from satellite monitoring.

He called on the South Tangerang municipal administration to take measures to tackle the problem, saying the lakes played an important role in the local ecology as water catchment areas.

Yulianto, head of lake matters at the Tangerang regency administration's Public Works Agency, said he was aware of the disappearing lakes.

"The lakes were initially just left in neglect, so long-term sedimentation turned them shallow. And since there was no control by the administration, local residents took over parts of the lakes and began erecting houses one by one," he said.

He added the illegal occupation of the lake had reduced the capacity of the land to absorb rainwater, which in turn contributed to floods.

"I think this is homework for the new administration to work on."

South Tangerang is a spin-off from Tangerang regency. The municipality covers the four districts of Serpong, Setu, Pamulang and Ciputat.