J

akarta: Construction of a giant sea wall in Jakarta Bay is set to start, the Coordinating Economic Ministry said on Friday. The project is part of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD).

'€œThe plan is to begin erecting the sea wall on Oct. 9,'€ said Coordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung, as quoted by kontan.co.id.

The project will be included in the state budget for many years to come and is intended for the long term. The development of the embankment anticipates increased incidence of floods caused by the subsidence of Jakarta'€™s land while sea levels rise.

'€œWhen [the sea wall] has been built, it could also serve as a reservoir for Jakarta. So it will have many functions. Other developments are also in the pipeline,'€ said Chairul.

The meeting was also attended by West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, who said that the NCICD project would start development in Jakarta before spreading projects to the surrounding areas of Bekasi, Banten and Tangerang.

Aside from the embankment development, the NCICD project will also work on island reclamation, with 17 artificial islands projected to be established in Jakarta Bay.