Jakarta Surrounded by Flooding, Pramono Gaspol Normalizes 3 Rivers This Year

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has ensured that the normalization project of three rivers in Jakarta will begin this year, starting from the Ciliwung River, Kali Krukut, and Kali Cakung Lama.

According to Pramono, the current condition of the width of the three rivers has narrowed and is increasingly limited in accommodating rainwater and shipments. So, normalization is carried out to reduce the impact of flooding.

"So we have decided to normalize the three main rivers, the Ciliwung River, Kali Krukut, Cakung Lama. I believe that if we normalize these three, because in fact the width of rivers like Cakung Lama is between 15 to 20 meters, but now it's only 2 meters," said Pramono in Pademangan, North Jakarta, Sunday, January 25.

In the normalisation of the Ciliwung River, the DKI Provincial Government is tasked with freeing the land for residents' settlements along the river. Meanwhile, the construction is carried out by the central government. Ciliwung normalization is carried out to minimize the overflow of water from the upstream.

Then, the normalization of Kali Krukut will be carried out by the DKI Provincial Government along 1.3 kilometers to overcome flooding in the Kemang area and its surroundings. Then, the normalization of Kali Cakung Lama is carried out to reduce flooding in the Cilincing, Kelapa Gading, and Koja areas.

"Whatever you do, it can't go down to the sea, so we need to normalize it and I have decided that we will do all of this and we will start in 2026," explained Pramono.

In recent days, Jakarta has been flooded with more than 100 RT. Pramono decided to implement home-based learning (PJJ) for school students and appealed to companies in Jakarta to implement work from home (WFH) for their employees until January 28.

However, Pramono opened the opportunity to stop the policy if the weather on Monday, January 26, was sunny. "Of course if it's sunny, it won't be done. So the deadline is until the 28th, now the 25th," said Pramono.

"So that leaves Monday-Tuesday. If later the conditions are then sunny, there is none of this, then yes we are normal. But if later the weather conditions do need to be handled, then we will still apply PJJ," he added.