If Free of Rubbish, Houses Could Face the River
Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) stated that rivers in Jakarta and surrounding areas have the potential to become clean and attractive public spaces if freed from rubbish and properly maintained.
AHY made this remark during an inspection of the Ciliwung River alongside Deputy Minister of Public Works Diana Kusumastuti on Thursday (7 May 2026).
“I was imagining, if only it were clean, houses could also face the Ciliwung River, it would be beautiful,” said AHY.
“Many advanced and modern cities in the world don’t have rivers, until they eventually create artificial ones. Why? To make the city beautiful, they say. To make it more attractive, so it can be used as a transportation route, for entertainment or sports,” he continued.
AHY stated that Indonesia already possesses many natural rivers, including the Ciliwung and Cisadane, which need to be kept clean and preserved.
AHY also highlighted the condition of the Ciliwung Riverbanks, which are still filled with rubbish.
According to him, the rubbish problem is one of the causes of suboptimal water flow and worsens flooding in Jakarta.
AHY said that handling Jakarta’s flooding cannot be done partially, but must be from upstream to downstream. He mentioned that the upstream area in Mount Pangrango, regions of Bogor, Depok, to the downstream in the Java Sea must be protected together.
AHY stated that the normalisation of the 33-kilometre river has currently reached 52 per cent, or 17 kilometres have been completed.
“The remaining 16 kilometres, I hope can be done progressively, hopefully without any widening obstacles,” said AHY.
AHY explained that based on data from the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Organisation (BBWS), the initial target for completing the Ciliwung River normalisation was 2027. However, due to several obstacles, the completion has been delayed until 2029.
Meanwhile, due to silting, dredging of river sedimentation by 20 to 50 centimetres is required. Then, land acquisition for river embankments from illegal buildings is needed.