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New face of Jakarta's giant seawall includes toll road, 2,000-ha reclamation plan
In total, the project, including the private-led reclamation project, will cost Rp 154 trillion.
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A screen capture of the new concept of Jakarta's giant sea wall, now called outer sea dike, from a government document dated May 2019. (JP/-)
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akarta’s controversial giant seawall project — initially called Great Garuda because the wall was to resemble the mythical bird — is entering its second phase of development with a new design involving a 2,000-hectare reclamation project in the Jakarta Bay, and a 20-kilometer outer sea dike that functions as a toll road.
The Public Works and Housing Ministry, which is in charge of the project, is preparing to send a proposal of the new concept to the State Palace, having signed an agreement with its Dutch and South Korean counterparts last month for the second phase of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD), now officially called the outer sea dike.
According to a ministry document dated May this year obtained by The Jakarta Post, the new concept, deliberated in around 150 meetings since 2016, will not entirely close the bay. The decision was made to answer the protests of fishermen and experts who fear that the giant artificial lake would turn into a “giant toilet” because it would collect untreated river water from Greater Jakarta.
The dike on the western side, estimated to cost Rp 48 trillion (US$3.4 billion), instead will have five large openings aimed at providing access for fisherfolk and transport from and to Thousand Islands regency, according to Andi Baso, a senior advisor for the ministry’s NCICD working unit.
“We hope that our design has accommodated the aspiration of existing stakeholders [...],” Andi told the Post.
The seawall project has triggered its fair share of controversy, with experts saying that the government should instead focus on preventing Jakarta from sinking further by stopping groundwater extractions.
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