Moving the capital won't prevent Jakarta from sinking say experts

Motorists and motorcyclists drive through the flood at the Taman Ratu housing complex in West Jakarta on Feb 28. Environmentalists have long blamed the worsening flooding in Jakarta to the land subsidence trend in the capital city. - JP

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): Environmentalists have cast doubt over the recent statement from Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria that relocating the capital city to East Kalimantan will help prevent Jakarta from sinking.

The statement was made in response to director of city-owned tap water company PAM Jaya, Arief Nasrudin, who said that 90 per cent of Jakarta would sink by 2050 due to over-extraction of groundwater.