Heaptalk, Jakarta — On Tuesday (02/25), President Prabowo Subianto ordered the Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo and the Coordinating Minister for Regional Infrastructure Development Agus Harimurti Yudhono to build a Giant Sea Wall (GSW) from Banten to Gresik.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto mentioned that the giant sea wall is being constructed to address the threat of tidal flooding and land subsidence in the northern region of Java Island. Airlangga revealed that the North Coast of Java (Pantura) is experiencing land subsidence of about 1 to 25 centimeters per year. Other challenges include rising sea levels by 1 to 15 centimeters per year in some areas and tidal flooding.
“We from the PU have been asked several times to be more serious and faster in building the Giant Sea Wall, at least in the Jakarta-Bekasi area. Approximately 20 to 30 kilometers,” Dody said.
However, Dody admitted that his ministry’s budget for implementing the project is minimal. Therefore, he will open opportunities for cooperation by involving many private companies.
Dody also hopes that the construction of the Giant Sea Wall in Jakarta can later serve as a model for building giant sea walls in other places, such as Semarang and Surabaya. “But due to budget constraints, we might involve more private companies. Then for the rest, we hope the Jakarta project can serve as an example for Semarang and Surabaya,” Dody concluded.
