August 20, 2025 | 06:30 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, widely known as Ahok, met with Governor Pramono Anung at the City Hall on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. According to Ahok, a key topic of their discussion was the ongoing issue of floods in the capital.
Ahok specifically highlighted the Ciliwung River normalization project, a program that stalled after his tenure as governor. "There were still 16 kilometers left that hadn't been cleared. Now, reports from former colleagues at the Large River Basin Ciliwung Cisadane or BWSCC... they were happy about it," Ahok said.
He noted that Pramono is prepared to move forward with the program. "Pak Pram had already issued a local determination as well. He mentioned earlier that this would be resolved," Ahok added.
According to Ahok, successfully completing the project will have a direct and significant impact on flood prevention in Jakarta. "If we clear the 16 kilometers of Ciliwung, the embankment, reservoir, and all the machinery are running, then there won't be any impact on the level 1 alert at Katulampa," he explained.
A History of the Ciliwung River Project
The Ciliwung River normalization project began during the term of former Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Several houses along the riverbank were even evicted when Ahok was in office.
However, the program came to a halt in 2017 under Governor Anies Baswedan, who replaced normalization with a "naturalization" approach and vowed not to evict residents. Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono later expressed a desire to continue the normalization, but the plan faced delays due to land clearance challenges. Now, Governor Pramono has promised to see the project through to completion.
In early March and July 2025, the Ciliwung River overflowed, contributing to Jakarta's floods. Pramono stated that the Ciliwung was responsible for 40% of the floods in March, making its normalization a top priority over the city's 13 other rivers.
The former Minister of State Secretariat noted that the city administration has already mapped the land to be cleared for the river's arrangement. While acknowledging that land clearance is the primary challenge and that some residents will resist, he assured that a persuasive approach will be used to encourage voluntary relocation.
Oyuk Ivani Siagian has contributed to the report.
Editor’s Choice: Indonesian Govt Set to Complete Ciliwung River Normalization by Next Year
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