Illegal Riverside Buildings Cleared in Central Jakarta
- Authorities cleared illegal buildings used for drinking along Kali Mati in Gunung Sahari Utara, Sawah Besar. - The crackdown targeted structures on Jalan Rajawali Selatan XII that had become public drinking spots. - Officials said the action restores riverbank order and safety for nearby residents (antaranews.com).
Central Jakarta authorities cleared 14 illegal semi-permanent buildings from the Kali Mati riverbank in Gunung Sahari Utara on April 16 after residents said the area had become a drinking spot. (antaranews.com) The structures stood along Jalan Rajawali Selatan XII in Sawah Besar district, where joint personnel from the Public Order Agency, road workers, water-resources crews and sanitation staff took part in the operation. (beritajakarta.id) Darwis Silitonga, head of the Sawah Besar Public Order Agency unit, said residents had complained that people used some of the buildings to drink alcohol and gather there at night. He said street crimes including pickpocketing and mugging were also reported around the site. (beritajakarta.id) Ikhwan Julio Akbar, acting head of Gunung Sahari Utara, said the cleared strip will be fenced with painted bamboo and then rearranged by the urban village administration. He said the goal was to return the riverbank to a more orderly condition. (antaranews.com) The action fits a wider pattern in Central Jakarta, where officials have been removing structures built on riverbanks and then redesigning the land as open, controlled space. In March, the city government said it would reorganize the Kebon Kacang area after another riverbank clearance. (antaranews.com) The Rajawali Selatan XII stretch has faced the same issue before. A BeritaJakarta report from an earlier crackdown said 27 illegal buildings on the Kali Mati side of the road were demolished because they were being used for housing and trading on the riverbank. (beritajakarta.id) City officials had also been hearing complaints from Gunung Sahari Utara residents in recent months. During a September 2025 meeting in the neighborhood, Central Jakarta Mayor Arifin said his administration was there to listen to local problems and look for solutions. (jakarta.go.id) For now, the immediate change is simple: the riverside buildings are gone, the area is set to be fenced, and local officials say the next step is to keep the Kali Mati bank from filling up again. (antaranews.com)
