“It is our fault. That’s why we will fix [the damage],” Jakarta Water Management Agency (SDA) head Teguh Hendarwan said on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co.

The land beneath the houses in Kampung Lodan gave way after the dredging of the Ciliwung River reportedly loosened the foundation of the old concrete embankment. 

The subsidence has rendered uninhabitable eight semi-permanent homes, whose occupants have sought shelter in emergency tents or are staying with relatives.

One of the displaced residents, Sukaesih, said the street in front of the row of houses had been sinking for almost a month. 

“They dredged [the river], then the banks become eroded, and then the foundation supporting the concrete columns collapsed,” Sukaesih said, as quoted by tempo.co in the shelter.

She said the agency had tried to rectify the situation by installing a new concrete embankment, but that effort had only made the sinking worse.

Teguh said the agency usually studied the river’s distance and depth before dredging to anticipate subsidence.

“This incident was caused by the lack of calculation before dredging,” he said. (gis)

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