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Birth of ‘Zombie Village’ in Jakarta due to recurring floods
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A resident stands on the bank of Kali Item (black stream) next to his house that had been damaged in frequent flooding in the Cililitan area in East Jakarta on June 6, 2024. According to the remaining residents, dozens of buildings in the kampung had been damaged in the frequent flooding, leading to many abandoning their homes. (ANTARA FOTO/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
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mid the hustle and bustle of the Cililitan Wholesale Center (PGC) in East Jakarta lies an abandoned settlement known as Kampung Zombie.
The village is less than 500 meters from the PGC intersection, sitting lower than its surrounding area and hidden behind the steep Al-Hikmah alley next to Pertiwi University on Jl. Dewi Sartika.
Dozens of abandoned houses line the banks of Kali Item (Black Stream), a distributary of the Ciliwung River; the name refers to its dark color resulting from water pollution. Mud covers the floors of the empty houses where the roofs have collapsed and the walls are peeling.
Head of the neighborhood unit (RT) Nur Hidayat said the village got its nickname “Zombie” in around 2015 as it became deserted with residents leaving due to repeated heavy floods.
"Initially, the name was a joke. This village is very quiet, it's like a zombie kampung," said the 53-year-old.
"You are the zombie," a resident who was playing chess at Nur's house chimed in.
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