Rano Karno on Jakarta Road Subsidence: Many Aging Infrastructures

The Deputy Governor of Jakarta, Rano Karno, stated that he does not rule out the possibility of further road subsidence occurring in various areas of Jakarta. According to him, many underground infrastructures are decades old and are prone to damage due to their age. He revealed that the type of armco steel structure found in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, is known to be more than three decades old.

“I cannot deny that more (road subsidence) will occur in Jakarta because many armcos in Jakarta are in the same condition—old and aged. Steel will inevitably corrode,” said Rano, as quoted on Thursday (4/6).

Consequently, Rano Karno has requested his subordinates to immediately conduct an inventory of infrastructure points that have the potential to cause similar incidents. “I have asked whether the inventory of potential risk points has begun. Because if it happens again, we want to know immediately,” he said.

Rano Karno noted that the issue of ageing infrastructure is not limited to drainage channels but also extends to other underground utility networks, such as clean water pipelines that have been operational for decades or even centuries. “Even from PAM Jaya, I was informed that some of our water pipes have not been replaced for 100 years. This means there is much old infrastructure that requires attention,” he explained.

According to Rano Karno, the process of mapping high-risk points is ongoing. For the pipeline network owned by PAM Jaya, the government can relatively easily perform mapping because the routes are well-documented. However, for other types of infrastructure, the inventory process is still underway. “We are still conducting the inventory. In fact, if we want to know the extent, it is easier with PAM because their routes are mapped. But for these other utilities, we are still in the inventory stage,” he concluded.