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Heavy rains impede construction of Nusantara
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said work on the future capital city had been disrupted by frequent downpours.
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An attendee films a video presentation of Indonesia's new planned capital Nusantara, in this file photo taken at the Ecosperity Week event in Singapore on June 7, 2023. (Reuters/Edgar Su)
T
he construction of the new capital city is being disrupted by frequent rain, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has said.
As a result, exterior work on the city that is going up in East Kalimantan would need to be temporarily halted on Aug. 10 in preparation for the Independence Day celebration to be held there on Aug. 17.
“There is only one problem there, namely the rain. Out of the last 30 days, there were only eight days that were clear; the rest were rainy. Currently, to protect the paving, we use tents,” Basuki said at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
The minister, who also serves as acting head of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, added that the rainy season had caused congestion at the site. To avoid this, construction workers had resorted to operating the batch plant where concrete is produced by mixing sand, water, cement and other materials, at night, he explained.
"As for indoor projects, the interior work must continue; [the roadworks we will resume] after Aug. 17," he said.
Danis Hidayat Sumadilaga, who heads the Nusantara infrastructure construction task force at the ministry, said there would be no activities, including construction work, starting what he estimated to be a week before the Independence Day ceremony, news agency Antara reported on July 5.
Read also: Jokowi delays relocation to Nusantara, will move there ‘once the place is ready’
