Normalization of Old Kali Cakung, Pramono admits there will be land release for residents

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung admitted that the plan to normalize the Old Cakung River would have an impact on the release of residents' land, especially in the downstream area of the river which had experienced extreme narrowing. The policy is said to be part of efforts to handle medium-term flooding in Jakarta.

This was conveyed by Pramono when reviewing the dredging of the Old Cakung River in the Rawa Indah area, Cilincing, North Jakarta. He said that the normalization of the Old Cakung River would be continued in a comprehensive manner and targeted to be completed by the end of 2027.

"We will continue to normalize the Old Cakung River and hopefully by the end of 2027 it will be completed," said Pramono at the location, Tuesday, January 27.

Pramono explained that the total length of the Old Cakung River that will be normalized reaches around 8.5 kilometers with a dredging volume of approximately 45,000 cubic meters. The work is divided into 17 segments that will be worked on gradually.

Pramono highlighted the bottleneck at the downstream, namely in the Begog River area. At this location, the width of the river is said to be only about two meters, making it one of the main causes of flooding during heavy rains.

He emphasized that the widening of the river to 15 meters could not be avoided and would be followed by the construction of an inspection road on the left and right sides of the river. This condition makes land acquisition, including residents' houses that stand on the river body, a consequence that must be taken.

"For the normalization of the river or the Old Cakung River, there will definitely be land reclamation at the end. Especially yesterday, which we saw, which was almost on the river, it has become a house, there will definitely be land reclamation," he said.

Pramono said the decision was made because the widening of the river estuary was considered more effective in controlling the flow of water. He admitted that land acquisition was one of the priorities that had to be decided so that the project did not stop in the middle of the road.

Regarding the budget, Pramono admitted that the cost of normalizing the Old Cakung River was quite large. However, Pramono ensured that the project would be worked intensively until it was completed.

"Until the end of 2027, of course, the allocation of costs and so on is quite large. Later I can't say the numbers, but in principle I have decided that this can't work piecemeal. The work must be completed," he said.

He hopes that after the normalization is completed, areas that have often been affected by floods such as Kelapa Gading, Sukapura, Cilincing, and West Semper can be handled better. However, Pramono emphasized that Jakarta will still not be completely free from puddles.

"In terms of spatial planning, it is impossible that Jakarta will not have puddles, it is impossible. So I have to convey what it is, but this is one of the medium-term solutions that we are doing to regulate the flooding that has occurred in Jakarta," he added.