Central Jakarta Administration Clears 95 Buildings Atop Karet Tengsin Water Channel

The Central Jakarta municipal government has cleared 95 semi-permanent buildings standing on a connecting water channel (PHB) on Jalan Abdul Jalil, RW 09 and RW 11, Karet Tengsin Urban Village, Tanah Abang District, on Thursday, as part of area revitalisation and channel normalisation.

Central Jakarta Assistant for Economy and Development Suprayogie said the buildings being cleared were located directly above the PHB channel, thereby hampering plans for the arrangement and maintenance of the water channel.

“This location will be turned into a revitalisation area. The channel will be normalised, tidied up, and then a small inspection path will be built above it,” Suprayogie said in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said the government had carried out three rounds of public consultation with affected residents before the clearance was carried out.

In addition, the government also held a special meeting with neighbourhood unit (RT) and community unit (RW) administrators, the Urban Village Consultative Body (LMK), and the Community Early Awareness Forum (FKDM) to explain the plan.

Suprayogie said most of the buildings being demolished were previously used as business premises, while the rest were used as dwellings.

The buildings had stood for quite a long time, estimated to range from more than a decade to several decades.

During the clearance, the government gave residents the opportunity to dismantle their own buildings so that building materials could be reused.

Suprayogie expressed hope that the demolition process could be completed on the same day, so that channel normalisation work could begin immediately to improve flood control functions and create a more orderly environment.

“If residents want to dismantle their own buildings today in order to reuse the materials, they are welcome to do so. What is clear is that today, the clearance will still be carried out,” Suprayogie stressed.