South Jakarta Water Resources Sub-agency is intensifying the dredging of micro and macro channels during the dry season.

Head Section of Maintenance for the Sub-agency, Junjung Paulus said now is the perfect time to dredge rivers and connecting channels. The warm weather conditions support the work.

"The best time for us to work is during hot weather, from morning to evening. If it rains, the water level increases and actually hinders the work process," he said, Monday (4/27).

He explained that river dredging is not only a response to disasters, but also part of preventive efforts that are carried out on an ongoing basis.

"Our dredging focuses on main river flows such as the Ciliwung River, Grogol River, and Pesanggrahan River, as well as cleaning connecting channels," he explained.

Dredging is also carried out manually in several locations requiring special handling. This preventive measure is crucial to maintaining optimal water channel capacity.

According to him, the sub-agency is capable of dredging around ten locations daily. In fact, six of these locations are being worked intensively to ensure optimal management of potential flooding.

"Our main focus is areas that have a high risk of accumulation of mud sediment and waste," he added.

Dredging has proven effective in accelerating the receding of floodwaters in several areas. The duration of flooding, which previously could last up to ten hours, has now been reduced to around two to three hours.

The sub-agency is also optimizing reservoir water storage to anticipate drought in several areas.

"If in the rainy season the volume of reservoir water is reduced to store water, then in the dry or transitional season it is optimized so that drought does not occur in the surrounding area," he stated.