"This project (giant sea wall) should not be delayed anymore. If the calculations are finished, we could immediately begin the construction this year," the governor said at the City Hall here on Monday.
According to Jokowi, the giant sea wall is important for Jakarta because the sea water continues to rise, while the ground level is decreasing.
"If we do not want to be constantly under the sea level, this levee should be constructed as soon as possible. The wall is also intended to protect the capital from being inundated by the sea water which often occurs in northern Jakarta," said Jokowi.
Jokowi said the construction of 32 kilometer-long giant sea wall will cost an estimated Rp100 trillion. There are a number of investors who wanted to join the project until today.
"All the studies related to giant sea wall are still ongoing, both in terms of technical, economic and environmental aspects. Already there are many investors who are interested and ready to join this project," said Jokowi.
The idea of the Giant Sea Wall project came from former Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo to address flooding in Jakarta, especially in the northern area of the capital city.
The giant sea wall is expected to protect the capital from flooding up to a thousand years.
To carry out the project, the Jakarta provincial administration will work with a number of agencies, including the Ministry of Public Works and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas). (A050/S012)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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