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Air quality in Jakarta ‘unhealthy’ during Asian Games
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Air quality levels in Jakarta in the past two weeks were worse than the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, according to environmental group Greenpeace Indonesia. (Shutterstock/File)
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ir quality levels in Jakarta in the past two weeks were worse than the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, according to environmental group Greenpeace Indonesia.
“The data that we obtained shows the air quality in Jakarta during the Asian Games was not healthy,” said Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Bondan Andriyanu on Saturday, pointing to the level of dangerous small particles, known as PM2.5, which were above the WHO’s safe limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3).
Read also: Jakarta’s air pollution worse than Bangkok, better than Manila
In Jakarta, the average PM2.5 concentration is 35 μg/m3, while at times during the Asian Games the hourly PM2.5 average was above 100 μg/m3, Bondan said.
“This is a real threat to our health,” Bondan said, adding that Indonesia should have stricter PM2.5 levels and increase the number of air-quality control stations.
The Jakarta administration has claimed large-scale traffic control in the city, which restricted private cars on certain days based on license plate numbers, eased the city’s notorious congestion and reduced air pollution in several city locations like the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta and Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta. (stu)
