TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsBenowo waste-to-energy plant blamed for severe air pollution in Surabaya
WALHI noted that between January and July 2023, the Surabaya Health Agency recorded over 174,000 cases of acute respiratory infections (ISPA) in the city, including more than 6,000 cases among infants.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The picture shows the aerial view of Benowo landfill in Surabaya, East Java, with Gelora Bung Tomo (GBT) stadium in the background. (Courtesy of/Surabaya city administration)
T
he Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) has urged the Surabaya administration in East Java to shut down the Benowo Waste-to-Energy Power Plant, accusing the facility of contributing significantly to the "alarming" levels of air pollution across the city.
Lucky Wahyu Wardhana, Campaign Manager for WALHI’s East Java branch, said air quality monitoring conducted within a three-kilometer radius of the Benowo power plant between November 2024 and January, recorded an average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at 26.78 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), with peak levels exceeding 100 µg/m³.
“These figures are nearly double the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 15 µg/m³ and exceed Indonesia’s national air quality standard of 55 µg/m³,” he recently told The Jakarta Post.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. Due to their microscopic size, these particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing serious health risks.
Lucky warned that prolonged exposure to elevated PM2.5 levels can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and even premature death. He noted that between January and July 2023, the Surabaya Health Agency recorded over 174,000 cases of acute respiratory infections (ISPA) in the city, including more than 6,000 cases among infants.
Read also: Health concerns spark strong opposition to reopening of Rorotan RDF plant
“The Benowo waste-to-energy power plant is not a solution, it is a source of pollution. The government should protect its citizens, not legitimize harmful and dirty technologies,” he said.
