The Jakarta administration has decorated Sentiong River, also known as Kali Item (the black river) for its severe pollution, with colorful lamps after covering it with a black nylon net prior to the Asian Games next month.

The river, which is located across the athletes village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, was covered by the net amid concerns that it would be too smelly for foreign athletes.

The industry and energy agency started installing the decorative lamps on the black net on Monday.

“[The decorative lamps] have been installed to make the river look better,” Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said at City Hall on Tuesday.

Anies’ move to cover the river, instead of cleaning it, has been met with criticism.

The governor said even though the river was covered, city workers would attempt to clean the river to rid it of its foul smell.  

He went on to say that the problem had been inherited from the previous administration.

“The problem didn’t emerge overnight. It’s been severely polluted for ages. We [the current city administration] only inherited the problem,” Anies said.