PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - The Bekasi Regency Government (Pemkab) is normalizing the 16-kilometer Cikarang Bekasi Laut (CBL) River to reduce the risk of flooding in North Tambun, Sukawangi, and the surrounding areas.

Acting Regent of Bekasi Asep Surya Atmaja reviewed the progress of work in Srimahi Village, Tambun Utara District, Tuesday (13/10/2026), to ensure that handling was going according to plan.

"Thank God, after visiting Cabangbungin and Sukakarya sub-districts, I'm now inspecting the CBL River. We can see firsthand the progress of the normalization process, which is expected to reduce flooding in North Tambun and Sukawangi," said Asep.

Before the normalization began, the Bekasi Regency Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) cleared a number of illegal buildings on the riverbanks to open up access for work and restore the function of the river basin.

Asep emphasized that normalization is necessary to smooth the flow of water that is hampered by sedimentation and silting, especially when the discharge increases during the rainy season.

"The Bekasi Regency Government continues to work. We want to ensure that development proceeds according to plan and that the community truly feels the benefits, especially in anticipating flooding during the rainy season," he said.

The normalization work was carried out in two packages, namely the Kalijaya Village segment, West Cikarang District, to the Pulo Puter Bridge, Srimahi Village, with a length of approximately 10 kilometers.

The second segment stretches from Pulo Puter Bridge to Sukamekar Village, Sukawangi District, with a length of approximately six kilometers.

The Secretary of the Bekasi Regency Water Resources, Highways, and Construction Services (SDA-BMBK), Denny Rusnandi, explained that the first package will run from September 1–December 29, 2026.

At the time of the review, work on the first segment had reached approximately 950 meters with the support of 11 excavator units.

Meanwhile, the second package took place from August 31–December 28, 2026 and has handled approximately 2,450 meters of river using 10 excavator units.

Denny explained that high sedimentation causes shallowing and narrowing of the river body, thus hampering the flow of water from a number of channels that flow into the CBL River.

According to him, the river has never been normalized since its construction, so sediment continues to accumulate and increases the risk of water flow obstruction.

The implementation of the work still faces obstacles in the form of illegal buildings, piles of rubbish, and landslide-prone conditions around the Pulo Puter Bridge, Srimahi Village.

Asep also targeted budget absorption of the SDA-BMBK Service to reach 97 percent, with development implementation being maximized to approach 100 percent.

"Over the next two months, we will continue to accelerate infrastructure work. I will return to the field to assess the progress and budget utilization," he emphasized.

Through the 16-kilometer normalization project, targeted for completion by the end of December 2026, the Bekasi Regency Government hopes to increase river capacity and reduce the threat of flooding to residential areas.

(Bekasi Regency Communications and Information Service/bhf)