Public Works Ministry Confirms Barito River Still Navigable
The Ministry of Public Works (PU) has confirmed that the main channel of the Barito River around the Kalahien area, Dusun Selatan District, South Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan, still has water flow and can be navigated by ships and boats.
This confirmation is based on direct monitoring by the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency (BWS) on Friday (21/8/2026), following the circulation of a video on social media showing the Barito River with sandbanks in the middle of the river.
The monitoring results show that the Barito River has indeed experienced a drop in water level and discharge due to the dry season. In several parts of the river, sandbanks or fairly extensive sand deposits are also visible.
However, this condition does not mean the Barito River has dried up entirely. The main channel of the Barito River still has water flow with an estimated width of around 100 metres and can be navigated by ships and boats operating on the river.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said water is an important foundation for life, so its availability needs to be maintained through rapid handling as well as sustainable infrastructure development.
“Water is an important foundation for life and development. Therefore, when drought occurs, the government must move quickly to ensure the basic needs of the community are met, while preparing long-term solutions so that communities are more resilient in facing drought,” said Minister Dody in a written statement on Friday (21/8/2026).
Meanwhile, Head of the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency Sandi Eriyanto explained that the monitoring results show there is indeed a reduction in the Barito River’s water discharge as a result of the dry season. However, the sandbanks visible in the video are parts of the river that are not receiving water flow due to the drop in water level.
According to Sandi, the position where the documentation circulating on social media was taken is above the Kalahien Bridge. From that camera angle, the fairly extensive sandbanks can give the impression that the Barito River’s body is experiencing drought.
“However, when direct monitoring was carried out, the main river channel was still visible with water and continues to function as a river transportation route,” said Sandi.
The Ministry of Public Works, through the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency, continues to monitor water levels and river channels in the Barito River Basin, especially during the dry season period. The monitoring is carried out to determine the development of river conditions as well as to anticipate the impact of falling water levels on community activities and river transportation.
Furthermore, the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency will also continue to update information based on direct field monitoring results so that the condition of the Barito River can be known comprehensively and accurately.
For this reason, the Ministry of Public Works urges the public to look at information regarding the condition of the Barito River comprehensively and not solely based on documentation from a single camera angle. The drop in water level and the emergence of sandbanks are conditions that occur in several parts of the river during the dry season, while the main channel of the Barito River at the monitoring location still has water and can be navigated by river transportation.