JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — The leakage of the seawall in Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, has become a topic of public discussion recently.

The seawall drew widespread attention after its leaking condition was uploaded by a resident to the Instagram social media account @jakut_info.

In the video, seawater can be seen seeping from the lower area of the seawall.

The seeping seawater immediately inundated the land around the Muara Baru seawall.

Land that previously consisted of piles of debris, grass, and red soil instantly turned into something resembling a pond.

A resident named Nurhasan (40) said that the leakage of the Muara Baru seawall was not the first occurrence.

“The leakage started around 3–4 years ago. This seawall was built during Ahok’s administration,” Nurhasan said when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Friday (5/12/2025).

So far, the leakage has not occurred at only one point, but also at several points that have already experienced cracks.

Usually, only a small amount of water leaks, so the seawater spilling onto land is not too much.

However, because sea conditions were at high tide yesterday, the leakage worsened and was no longer able to prevent seawater from overflowing onto land.

Residents’ anxiety

The leakage has caused a number of residents to feel deeply anxious, because their homes are only about 800 meters from the seawall.

They worry that the seawall is no longer sturdy and could one day collapse, endangering nearby residents.

“Worried, of course, afraid if it collapses, because the sea level is already high,” said Nurhasan.

Another resident, Tari (60), also expressed concern due to the fragile condition of the seawall.

“Worried, of course, afraid if it collapses, because the sea level is already high,” Tari said.

Another resident, Iis (42), also felt very worried about the condition of the seawall, which has frequently leaked.

If the leakage continues, around four neighborhood units (RT) in Penjaringan would be most severely affected because they are closest to the seawall.

“RT 6, RT 12, RT 05, RT 14, in RW 17, which are located along this seawall,” said Iis.

Yesterday’s leakage caused seawater to inundate areas right in front of residents’ homes.

The height of seawater that overflowed in front of residents’ homes reached 20–30 cm. Not only that, water also entered several houses.

After the peak of tidal flooding subsided, the seawater seeping from the lower area of the seawall no longer flowed to the front of residents’ homes.

Leaking seawall patched

The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of DKI Jakarta immediately carried out handling measures to repair the leaking seawall in Muara Baru.

Based on Kompas.com observations at the site, the repairs were carried out by the blue-uniformed teams of the Water Resources Sub-agency (SDA), Penjaringan District, North Jakarta City Government.

Around 35 personnel were deployed to carry out repairs on the leaking seawall. The repairs carried out were temporary, consisting only of patching.

“Thank God it went smoothly with the water level not too high. We are just anticipating things so that nothing undesirable happens,” said Suryadi, Field Coordinator of the SDA Penjaringan District, to Kompas.com on Friday.

So far, there have been four leaking points on the Muara Baru seawall that have been patched by SDA officers.

The patching was done by excavating the leaking points. Then, the area was patched with sand-filled bags and covered again with cement.

Even after being patched, seawater was still seen seeping at several points in the lower area of the seawall, although not as heavily as the previous day.

Not to be taken lightly

A researcher from the BRIN Center for Limnology and Water Resources Research, Budi Heru Santosa, said that the leakage of the seawall should not be taken lightly because it could lead to more serious impacts.

“The leakage is a form of structural damage that can quickly develop into more severe conditions. It is very important to address the problem immediately,” he explained.

If the leaking seawall is not immediately repaired, the seeping seawater will erode the foundation soil of the seawall, especially in locations where the foundation is not deep enough, forming cavities that can trigger structural failure. As a result, the seawall could collapse suddenly.

In addition, seawater seeping into reinforced concrete structures will accelerate corrosion of the reinforcement, making the seawall more prone to fragility.

Maintenance not yet optimal

Urban planning observer M Azis Muslim assessed that the leakage of the seawall in Muara Baru should have become a major concern.

Azis also mentioned that previously, former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, had warned that the quality of the seawall at Pantai Mutiara, which had also experienced leakage, needed to be immediately improved.

However, a similar incident has now occurred again at the Muara Baru seawall.

“Of course, this condition is very concerning if leakage is found, especially since the information indicates it has been happening for quite a long time. This shows that the government’s maintenance of infrastructure has not been entirely optimal or fully effective in protecting the public from the threat of flooding,” Azis said.

The leakage of the Muara Baru seawall is considered an early warning for the government to immediately conduct audits of all seawalls that have so far been relied upon to prevent seawater from overflowing onto land during high tides.

A comprehensive evaluation of the quality of seawalls in Jakarta is important for the government to prevent similar leakages from occurring in other areas.

Community involvement needed

To prevent recurring seawall leakage, the government is urged to involve the community.

“The government should take swift action when there are reports or when the issue is already known, by immediately repairing the seawall and preventing further damage,” Azis explained.

The fact that the Muara Baru seawall has been leaking for years shows that this vulnerable area has received insufficient attention from the government.

Therefore, with active reporting from the community, the government is expected to respond quickly whenever there is damage to other seawalls.

In this way, the government can demonstrate its presence in safeguarding the safety and peace of its citizens by making various efforts, such as improving the quality of seawalls that were built using public tax funds.

“The state must be present in various situations, and most importantly, be responsive to conditions. If the leakage has been known for quite some time, why was it not immediately addressed?” Azis said.

Must be permanently repaired

Patching the leaking seawall is considered only a short-term solution and not very effective.

Therefore, the government is advised to immediately audit all seawalls that are vulnerable to damage or leakage and carry out permanent repairs.

“However, a comprehensive audit of existing seawalls should be carried out so that the handling is permanent and prevents recurring leakage,” Azis explained.

Azis emphasized that the government should not view seawall repairs merely as profit-driven projects.

Instead, the work must be carried out seriously with sustainable mechanisms to prevent recurring damage.

The repairs should first consider the cause of the leakage, whether it is due to weak structural integrity or poorly executed construction.

By paying attention to these factors, the repairs carried out will be more accurate and the potential for recurring damage will be minimized.

Dr. Muh Azis Muslim, M.Si.
Lecturer in Public Administration

Source: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2025/12/08/11442