To prevent congestion, PAM Jaya excavation pits closed during Lebaran holiday period

Jakarta — Perumda Air Minum Jaya (PAM Jaya) temporarily closes excavation pits for the piping project in Jakarta during the mudik period and Lebaran holidays to prevent traffic congestion.

“During the mudik period and Lebaran holidays, all excavation pits will be secured and temporarily closed to minimise congestion,” said Ferdian Avrizal, Senior Manager of the Customer Service Unit (UPL) of PAM Jaya, when contacted in Jakarta on Friday.

This effort is among those being undertaken following PAM Jaya’s Jalan Peta Selatan excavation project in Kalideres, which has contributed to sewer water overflowing in the area.

In addition, some of the excavation projects in Jakarta, including Jalan Peta Selatan, have implemented work barriers that close off one traffic lane, thereby potentially causing congestion.

Ferdian revealed that the clean water installation project on Jalan Peta Selatan is part of the commitment to water-piping services that must be completed 100 percent by 2029.

According to data compiled by ANTARA, PAM Jaya plans to create around 100 excavation pits during 2026.

The project forms part of laying new pipes totalling 700-1,000 kilometres to improve the capital’s access to clean water.

Earlier, at the Jalan Peta Selatan project site on Monday (2/3) afternoon, sewer water formed a small pool measuring 2 by 3 metres at the roadside. The foul-smelling wastewater overflowed, making the road surface muddy.

In the area of the excavation site, the sign reads ‘Efforts to improve water supply service are underway’ along with PAM Jaya’s call centre number.

Although the excavation appears to have been completed with some pits closed off with earth and cement, the road barriers have not yet been removed.

Dodi, 64, a minimarket parking attendant near the site, said that black sewer floods began since the pipe excavation started: ‘It’s been a long time, more than two weeks, since before Ramadan, so the flood. The water, this sewer, rose. This is black water from the sewer, after being excavated it became clogged, and it has not flowed since the excavations began,’ he said.

The odour from the flood is felt directly by Dodi and by workers and customers inside the minimarket.