Karangantu Estuary in Serang Cleaned Up, Shipwrecks Removed

Workers are normalising and dredging the Karangantu estuary in Serang, Banten. The estuary, once filled with shipwrecks, is now considerably cleaner.

detikcom observed at the site on Friday (21/8/2026) that the estuary is now much wider. An excavator is still dredging sediment from the riverbed. There is no longer any ship debris or other material along the estuary banks.

Traditional fishing boats can now berth directly at the jetty or come alongside the concreted estuary edge. Vessels are also able to pass through more freely and comfortably.

One fisherman, Juned, said conditions are better than before. He said the Karangantu estuary had been narrow and had not been dredged for years.

“It is much better now, it is good to be able to berth alongside,” Juned said.

However, Juned said the estuary is still not deep enough. As a result, some boats still run aground and suffer broken propellers.

“Further inside it is still not completely clean. They hit timber and the fishermen’s propellers get cut off,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed by December 2026. He hopes the estuary can be deepened by around two more metres so that boats can pass through more comfortably.

“If estimated, it should probably be two metres more,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Banten Provincial Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency, Arlan Marzan, said the project is being carried out by the Cidanau Ciujung Cidurian River Basin Agency (BBWSC3) under the Ministry of Public Works. He said the project is intended to control flooding and improve access for fishing boats.

“The benefits are clear: first, flood control so that water flows smoothly to the sea. Second, fishing boat access becomes easier because vessels are safe from sedimentation,” Arlan said.

Previously, dozens of damaged wooden shipwrecks had become waste in Karangantu, Serang, Banten. The condition narrowed the fishing channel and made it difficult for boats to berth.

detikcom observed at the site on Wednesday (24/6) that damaged boats were found along the estuary. These vessels were lined up alongside fishing boats still in operation.

Some damaged boats were still intact in shape, while others were reduced to their frames. Some had even sunk and were covered in grass. All that remained of those vessels was the deck framework.

Banten Governor Andra Soni also inspected the fishing channel at the Karangantu estuary. He said there were 80 shipwrecks in Karangantu.

“We saw for ourselves that there are around 80 shipwrecks that have been there for years, decades even, unaddressed and obstructing the fishing navigation channel,” Andra said.

Andra said the Banten Provincial Government, together with the Cidanau Ciujung Cidurian River Basin Agency (BBWSC3), is normalising the estuary and river in Karangantu. The shipwrecks and sedimentation in the river will be cleared.

“There is also extraordinarily thick sediment, estimated at around 190,000 cubic metres, that will be dealt with,” he said.

He said the work will take several months. He therefore apologised to fishermen if their activities are disrupted.

“I ask for the support of the entire community, especially the fishermen who may be affected by this activity. The work is expected to take several months, and I apologise,” he said.