Jakarta – Fishing ponds in North Jakarta have dried up, killing hundreds of fish and forcing the municipality to deal with rainless months amid the prolonged dry season.
Land cracks have begun to form at the beds of two fishing ponds in Rawabadak Utara subdistrict in Koja district.
A small puddle filled with mud and hundreds of dead fish was seen at a dried-up pond located near the Radar Pembangunan child-friendly public place.
A similar sight was seen at another pond located near the district's waste depot, with land cracks in the pond's bed more apparent than ever due to a lack of water.
Darussalam, 40, a resident in the area, said dried-up fishing ponds were common during the dry season, which started two months prior.
"The pond started to dry up two months ago, at around Idul Fitri. Usually the pond is filled up during the rainy season, only to dry up during the dry season, and the cycle continues," he said on Friday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
The weather conditions disrupted fishing activities in the area, leading to a drop in visitors.
"When the pond is filled up with water, a fishing competition is usually held every Sunday. There is usually a large crowd during the competitions," Darussalam said.
He said most of the dead fish found at the bottom of the pond were tilapia fish seeds that died after the pond dried up.
Residents in the area, he added, would have to wait until the rainy season to start fishing again, as they did not have any other options to refill the ponds. (ars)