Heru Budi Has Spoken Out About Jokowi Calling The Ciliwung Sodetan Mangkrak 6 Years

Ciliwung River (Photo from Antara)

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono opened his voice about President Joko Widodo's statement that the work on the Ciliwung Sodetan had stalled over the past 6 years. Heru explained, during these six years, it does not mean that none of the constructions have been carried out by the government. There is still work on the construction of the water entry point. However, the next process continues to experience problems so that it is not optimal. "Physically, the input point is yes (worked). But overall there are several obstacles. So, it's not optimal either. It can't be (continued) either. That's roughly the case," said Heru when met after the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) for the COVID-19 Handling Transition and National Economic Recovery (PC-PEN), Thursday, January 26. Meanwhile, the construction of the Sodetan water discharge point in the Kebon Nanas area, from 2016 to 2022, was not carried out. This is because the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, at that time, did not complete the land acquisition process. Thus, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) cannot continue the construction process at the giant culvert outlet. "Yang di outlet-nya sejak berapa kurun waktu itu memang berhenti karena salurannya harus di lebarkan, di sana ada beberapa kendala, ada rumah warga. Terus ada yang harus ditailingkan data dengan BPN, dengan Trisakti, dan sekarang sudah selesai," jelas Heru. When President Joko Widodo directly inspected the Ciliwung Sodetan a few days ago, the construction had been technically completed. The land acquisition process in Kebon Nanas, which was accelerated by Heru from the start, has also been in office until physical development has also been carried out. "Technically, etc., it's finished, just testing, yesterday what has been released has not been syheettTED, it has not been arranged. Now it's arranged, this April (Ciliwung drain) is finished. There is no problem," he said. On Tuesday, January 24, President Joko Widodo reviewed the construction of the Ciliwung Sodetan on the Kebon Nanas outlet side, Jatinegara, East Jakarta. Jokowi admitted that he was surprised that the construction of the Ciliwung Sodetan, which had stalled for 6 years, could be immediately continued by Heru. After Heru took office, the DKI Provincial Government immediately carried out land acquisition for a number of residential areas that became sodetan outlet areas. "The Ciliwung detainee, who stopped 6 years ago, has been cleared of land here for a month and a half, so the drilling can be started again and we hope that it will be completed in April, God willing," said Jokowi at the location. Jokowi explained that the giant 1.3-kilometer culvert, when operating, could reduce the water discharge by 33 cubic meters per second in the Ciliwung River flow to be diverted to the East Flood Canal (BKT). "Then on (standard) Alert 1 (the flow can reach) 63 cubic meters per second. It's very big. That's very much when it works, it will greatly reduce flooding in Jakarta," explained Jokowi.