Jakarta Provincial Government began to gradually normalize the Pluit Dam, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, in a bid to anticipate flooding, Monday (12/1). The normalization is targeted to complete within 6 months. 

As many as 17 heavy equipments type backhoe and drager have been sent to the field. Normalization itself is initiated by dredging mud on the west side of the dam near a water pump.

The next dredging is on the south and central sides of the dam. Dredging to deepen the dam is made from 2 becomes 7 meters. 

Jakarta Dam and River Normalization Executor, Heriyanto disclosed that the initial phase is prioritized on west side. "By so, water can flow into the pump and the sea well," he expressed, Monday (12/1).

Then it would be focused on the south, central, and north sides. While on east side, will be done after relocation phase is done.

This is because, along 3.5 km the dam riverbank, starting from the sluice water towards pump house until Muara Baru on the east side is dense with citizen houses. Around 15 hectares of wet trace, there are seen 1,000 buildings stood atop the land and is worried to collapse if the trace is dredged due to land subsidence. 

"At this time, Jakarta government is preparing the flat to local citizens. Data collection is also still ongoing right now," he told.

He also hopes locals could be willing to be relocated to the flat.