The Jakarta city government has come under criticism after trying to hide a polluted river ahead of hosting the 2018 Asian Games.

The Indonesian capital’s Sentiong River, which passes the village 11,000 athletes from 45 countries are staying in, is known as the black river due to its toxic waters and foul smell.

The city council has installed a black mesh net over the river to block it from view and minimise its effects.

An official from the Jakarta water resources agency told Kompas.com about the purpose of the net. He said: “Its function is to elevate the beauty [of the river] so that the black water cannot be directly seen by international athletes.”

The cost of installing the nets is said to total around £30,000.

The government has said it is working to clean the waterway by using aerating technology to help break down organic material and pumping in fresh water from a dam in Java.