WebAdmin_FIA
- Posted on
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Several residents have admitted that they remain worried even though the seawall in Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, which had previously leaked, has been patched with sand.
One of them is Nurhasan (40), who fears that the seawall in front of his house could collapse despite having been repaired.
“Of course I’m worried, afraid if it collapses, because the sea level is already high,” Nurhasan said when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Friday (5/12/2025).
He explained that the two-kilometer-long seawall stretching alongside Nizam Zachman Port was built when Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, served as Governor of Jakarta.
The presence of the seawall has been considered very helpful in protecting residential areas in Muara Baru from tidal flooding.
However, over the past two to three years, the 30-centimeter-thick seawall has begun to develop many cracks and leaks.
Nurhasan also said that the leaks did not occur at just one point, but at many locations and had existed for a long time. “There are many leaks, over there, here, not just at this one spot.
The major leakage only started yesterday, with the worst at the corner where the water poured heavily onto the land,” he explained.
The seawater that overflowed onto land due to the leaking seawall reached a height of 10 cm on Thursday (4/12/2025).
Another resident, Tari (60), also admitted that she was very afraid of the condition of the seawall, which has frequently leaked.
“Everyone is anxious, surely afraid, residents here are also uneasy because we live on land like this,” she said.
She is afraid that the seawall may no longer be able to withstand the force of seawater waves and could collapse suddenly.
This is because the distance between Tari’s house and the seawall is only about 800 meters. If seawater overflows, her home would likely be among the first to be affected.
Four neighborhood units potentially affected
Another resident named Iis (42) said that there are four neighborhood units (RT) that would be the first to be affected if the Muara Baru seawall collapses.
“RT 6, RT 12, RT 05, RT 14, which are located along this seawall,” she said.
Most of the houses in these four RT areas are semi-permanent structures made of materials such as wood and plywood.
This condition is what makes Iis particularly worried if seawater suddenly overflows and sweeps through the settlement.
This concern is based on the severe leakage that occurred four days ago, when seawater that spilled onto land had already inundated residential areas.
“Recently the water reached here, but now it’s better because it’s been covered. Yesterday it was as high as the calves. Some water entered houses, some didn’t,” Iis said.
The condition of the leaking seawall has caused Iis to live with constant worry, just like other residents.
Therefore, she hopes that the government can build a stronger seawall in Muara Baru.
This is because the seawall is crucial for residents to protect their homes.
“We hope there will be the construction of a stronger, higher seawall. It’s already very shaky; without a seawall we would be finished,” Iis explained.
Temporary repairs
The sand patching is a temporary repair carried out by the Provincial Government (Pemprov) of DKI Jakarta.
This is because the Jakarta Provincial Government stated that the Muara Baru seawall falls under the authority of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo).
Therefore, future repair processes for the leaking seawall must be coordinated with Pelindo.
For this reason, sand patching was carried out as an effort to prevent the seawall leakage from worsening.
“This is patching. Thank God it went smoothly with the water level not too high. We are just anticipating things so that nothing undesirable happens,” explained Suryadi, Field Coordinator of the Water Resources Sub-agency (SDA) of Penjaringan District, when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Friday.
The patching process was carried out by covering the weakened and perforated middle area of the seawall with sand-filled bags.
With the presence of sand, it is hoped that seawater will no longer overflow onto land and cause inundation.
After being patched with sand, officers then covered it with cement to make it stronger.
The patching work was completed over two days by 35 SDA officers from Penjaringan District.
During those two days, the officers patched at least four points of the seawall that had experienced severe leakage.
Emergency solution
A researcher from the BRIN Center for Limnology and Water Resources Research, Budi Heru Santosa, said that patching the seawall with sand is an acceptable emergency solution.
“That is an emergency solution; a permanent one requires much greater effort,” Budi said.
This is because carrying out permanent repairs requires budget planning and time, so temporary repairs still need to be done.
However, Budi warned that even if the repairs are temporary, it must be ensured that the seawall no longer leaks.
Going forward, the leaking seawall must be handled seriously because if not, the damage will worsen.
There are several risks that could potentially occur if the leaking seawall is not repaired properly. One of them is piping or internal erosion.
“Seepage erodes 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,” Budi said.
Another risk is structural degradation, where seawater seeping into reinforced concrete structures accelerates corrosion, making the seawall highly prone to fragility.
Handling measures
In addition to being patched with sand, there are several other measures that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government can take to handle the leaking seawall.
For example, by carrying out grouting and installing sheet piles at leaking points of the seawall to prevent further deterioration.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is also required to conduct monitoring through routine inspections of the patched seawall.
With regular inspections, the government can more quickly detect any leakage or damage to the seawall and carry out repairs immediately.
The government is also urged to involve local residents in monitoring the seawall.
A warning to remain vigilant
Urban planning observer M Azis Muslim said that various efforts must indeed be carried out to repair the leaking seawall in Muara Baru.
This is because the leaking condition of the seawall is considered an early warning for both residents and the Jakarta government to be more vigilant.
“This situation can serve as a kind of early warning to conduct audits of all seawalls that are expected to prevent seawater flow during high tides,” Azis said.
According to Azis, when the Pantai Mutiara seawall leaked several weeks ago, the government should have immediately conducted monitoring of all seawalls in Jakarta.
The seawall leakage itself is evidence that the maintenance carried out by the government has not been effective, so the concrete structure has not been optimal in blocking seawater from overflowing onto land.
Going forward, Azis suggested that the government involve local communities in monitoring seawalls in Jakarta.
Residents are asked to immediately report to the Jakarta Provincial Government if they find leaking or damaged seawalls.
In this way, the government will be assisted in maintaining the quality of seawalls in Jakarta so that they no longer experience damage or leakage.
Seawall repairs must indeed be carried out immediately because the government has a responsibility to safeguard the safety of its citizens.
“We hope the government can be present to immediately maintain the peace and safety of residents by making efforts that ensure the quality of seawalls that were built using public funds through taxes and other means,” Azis explained.
Azis advised that the recurring leakage of seawalls over the years should no longer be left unattended by the government, as it could have fatal consequences for Jakarta.
Dr. Muh Azis Muslim, M.Si.
Lecturer in Public Administration
