A total of 1,596 tons of garbage caught by bridge over the Ciliwung River in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, has been removed after two days of flooding, an official said on Wednesday.

Jakarta Environment Agency head Isnawa Adji said the garbage build-up, which was removed using 188 garbage trucks, had continued to accumulate as of Wednesday because of heavy downpours.

“Our efforts have not been optimal because garbage has continued to gather because of the heavy rainfall and the high water levels at Katulampa dam [in Bogor, West Java]. We will continue to monitor the situation,” said Isnawa on Wednesday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

Under normal conditions, approximately 300 tons of garbage accumulates in the Ciliwung River per day.

Isnawa also said the agency had deployed additional personnel to clean up the river. A total of 10 trucks had collected garbage around the riverbanks.

“We will continue the cleanup processes in residential areas, and we will deploy all available personnel as well,” he said. (jlm)