January 27, 2026 | 01:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung acknowledged that the capital may never be completely free from flooding, as he inspected the dredging of the Old Cakung River in the Rawa Indah area, Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
“Even in terms of spatial planning, it is impossible for Jakarta not to experience inundation,” Pramono said, speaking in front of officials and local residents.
The governor, a politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, said the provincial government will continue the Jakarta's Old Cakung River normalization program, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.
The project covers approximately 8.5 kilometers of the river, with a dredging volume of around 45,000 cubic meters divided into 17 segments.
Pramono stressed that river normalization alone will not eliminate floods in Jakarta. He noted that the city’s spatial conditions and population density make inundation difficult to avoid.
“This is one of the medium-term solutions we are implementing to manage the flooding that has long affected Jakarta,” he said.
A key focus of the project is the downstream section of the Old Cakung River, particularly the Begog River area, which has long been a bottleneck for water flow.
The river’s width at this point has narrowed to just two meters. The government plans to widen the channel to about 15 meters to increase water capacity.
“It's better for the river mouth to be wider,” Pramono said. The Old Cakung River project is part of a broader effort that also includes the normalization of the Ciliwung and Krukut rivers.
Pramono admitted that the project will require a significant budget to be completed by 2027. While he did not disclose the exact allocation, he emphasized that the work must be carried out comprehensively rather than in partial segments to effectively reduce flooding in vulnerable areas.
“In principle, this work cannot be done piece by piece. It must be completed in full,” he said.
The governor noted that neighborhoods frequently affected by floods, including Kelapa Gading, Sukapura, Cilincing, and Semper Barat, are expected to benefit from improved flood protection once the project is finished.
Read: Governor Says Weather Modification Eased Jakarta Flood Damage
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