Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The truth is not always pretty, but Jakarta is apparently ready to look straight at it. While many cities boast about their positive aspects, Jakarta is openly labeling itself as a polluted metropolis.
Six giant billboards reading ""Welcome to polluted city,"" with a picture of two shabby-looking people covering their noses, will be launched Monday in conjunction with World Environment Day.
The billboards will be placed in each of Jakarta's five municipalities, while the sixth will be posted at the office of the City Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) in the Casablanca area of South Jakarta.
""It is a reality; we don't need to hide the real state of air quality in Jakarta,"" the head of BPLHD, Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
He said the billboards, designed in cooperation with clean air campaigner Swisscontact, were aimed at increasing people's sensitivity to the importance of air quality.
""We hope it can boost public awareness. We can all work hand in hand to clean up the air. It is also a warning to the administration to step up its efforts to combat air pollution,"" he said.
The nation's capital is the first city in the country to issue regulations to control air pollution.
A 2005 bylaw bans smoking in certain places and prohibits garbage-burning in open areas.
It also requires all private cars to perform emissions tests twice a year, and mandates the use of Compressed Natural Gas in public transportation vehicles and official vehicles.
However, since the administration has not issued supporting gubernatorial decrees to implement the bylaw, only the smoking ban has been put into effect so far. The launch of the smoking ban was delayed for several months.
""The bylaw itself will never be enough to control air pollution. Clean air is everyone's responsibility,"" Kosasih said.
""We promote openness through the billboards. We hope private auto owners will continue to conduct emissions tests.
""Having regular emissions tests will have a significant impact in reducing air pollution. It will also help improve vehicle performance,"" he added.
The administration has said transportation and industry are responsible for as much as 70 percent of Jakarta's air pollution.
Administration data shows at least 2.5 million private cars, 3.8 million motorcycles and 255,000 public transportation vehicles traversed city streets on a daily basis in 2004.
The number of private cars is expected to grow by 12 percent every year, while roads are increasing by only 1 percent.
Cars produce pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. Carbon monoxide, for example, which is colorless and odorless, can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea and eventually death.
Although they are mandatory, emissions tests have gotten a cool response from car owners.
City Police have yet to require emissions certificates from private car owners who want to renew their registrations, which has caused many people to conclude the tests are not necessary.
Furthermore, many private cars traveling in Jakarta are from the surrounding areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Bodetabek), which do not have mandatory emissions tests.
They drive their private cars to work in Jakarta due to the lack of good public transportation alternatives.
The city's new busway, which links only areas in Jakarta, has yet to attract private car owners, so it hasn't had much impact on the number of vehicles entering the city.
In addition, a program to shift diesel-burning vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas has run into problems.
Vehicle wners have to invest more than Rp 10 million (US$1,080) to equip their vehicles to use the gas.
The National Planning Development Agency (Bappenas) said Jakarta is making progress on air pollution prevention compared to other cities, but the public response has remained cool.
""Air pollution is not a sexy issue here. The public, including decision makers, have not realized the risks of air pollution. It is like a silent killer that can claim anybody's life at any time,"" Medrilzam, head of the environment division at Bappenas, told the Post.
He said the government is drafting a national strategy and action plan as an umbrella for local administrations to improve air quality in their respective cities.
""The draft will be a guideline for all local administrations to formulate policies related to air quality problems,"" he said.
