TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi on Tuesday, February 20, visited the Ciliwung River in East Jakarta to check on the progress of river normalization work. The project had stopped when Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan took office.

Jokowi conducted the inspection under heavy rain that had been pouring all morning, accompanied by Jakarta Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono and Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono. With a black umbrella, the president walked along the riverbank that has been neatly arranged from the residential area.

"The process of normalizing the Ciliwung River is approximately only 17 kilometers away from completion. After having been suspended for quite some time, we will resume it immediately," Jokowi said when met at the location.

Jokowi said the normalization process had stopped due to problems with land acquisition.

President Widodo gave Minister Heru and Minister Basuki a target to finish the remaining 17-kilometer work by 2024. Jokowi hopes that the normalization can significantly reduce Jakarta's flooding.

"There are still 12 rivers in Jakarta that also need normalization," Jokowi said.

In December 2022, Jokowi inaugurated the Ciawi Dam and Sukamahi Dam in Bogor, West Java. This is one of Jokowi's efforts to reduce flooding in the capital city of Jakarta due to water runoff from Bogor.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

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