The personnel of Pulo Gadung District Water Resources Implementation Unit, East Jakarta, continue to accelerate dredging of the connecting channel (Phb) on Jalan Rawamangun Muka Raya, RW 13, Rawamangun Urban Village. The work has now reached 70 percent progress.

Head of the Unit, Didi Rusdiana said the channel is dredged for approximately one kilometer, starting from the intersection of Jalan Ahmad Yani and Jalan Rawamangun Muka Raya to the intersection in front of Sunan Giri Rawamangun Market.

"Work began before Ramadan. We are optimistic that all work will be completed within the next one to two months," he said, Wednesday (6/10).

He explained that the dredging process took quite a long time due to several obstacles encountered in the field. In addition to sedimentation reaching a thickness of 40 to 50 centimeters and hardening, workers also had to remove various construction debris that was obstructing water flow.

"In the channel, which is about one meter wide and two meters deep, we found a lot of debris from the casting. Furthermore, there were fiber optic cable sheaths left inside the channel, which we had to remove piece by piece," he explained.

To expedite the handling, eight Blue Troop personnel are deployed daily. The dredged sediment is placed in sacks and then transported to the East Flood Canal (KBT) sandtrap in the Ujung Menteng area of ​​Cakung.

"200 to 250 sacks of mud sediment and garbage are transported every day," he added.

According to him, channel dredging is carried out as an anticipatory measure to reduce flooding that often occurs during heavy rain.

"So far, flooding in this area can reach a height of 10 to 15 centimeters due to reduced capacity of the drainage channels," he continued.

Meanwhile, one of local residents, Ishak (47) welcomed and appreciated the channel dredging on Jalan Rawamangun Muka Raya.

"Hopefully the flooding during the rainy season will decrease, or even stop happening again," he hoped.