Jakarta moves to bury overhead cables to improve safety and cityscape

..these efforts will help address potential fire hazards caused by tangled overhead cables, particularly electrical wiring,

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta Provincial Government is prioritizing the relocation of overhead cables underground through the construction of utility ducts to reduce cable clutter in several areas of the capital.

"The Jakarta Public Works Agency is currently constructing utility ducts to relocate overhead cables into underground utility channels," South Jakarta Mayor Syafrin Liputo told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

Liputo said the relocation of overhead cables was one of the provincial government's priority programs.

The underground ducts are intended to improve the organization of utility networks and reduce hazards associated with overhead electrical cables, he said.

"We hope these efforts will help address potential fire hazards caused by tangled overhead cables, particularly electrical wiring," he said.

Several areas of South Jakarta continue to be affected by disorganized overhead cable networks, Liputo added.

Moving the cables underground is expected to improve the city's appearance while enhancing public safety.

The Jakarta Provincial Public Works Agency has reorganized cluttered overhead utility cables at five of the 20 planned locations, with the work targeted for completion by the end of 2026, as part of efforts to improve the capital's urban landscape.

The provincial government has allocated Rp90 billion (US$4.97 million) for the construction of Integrated Utility Network Facilities (Sarana Jaringan Utilitas Terpadu, or SJUT) at several locations across the capital.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has set a five-year target for completing the SJUT project.

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Translator: Luthfia Miranda, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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