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City to improve air quality ahead of planned lawsuit
The Jakarta administration has claimed that work is under way to improve air quality in the capital amid an impending civil lawsuit
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The Jakarta administration has claimed that work is under way to improve air quality in the capital amid an impending civil lawsuit.
Some 57 people from various backgrounds are set to file a lawsuit against the President, the environment and forestry minister and the governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java provinces at the Central Jakarta District Court on June 18.
Grouped under the Capital Advocacy Team and represented by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), the complainants aim to turn the issue of air quality into a legal matter, arguing that their health has been affected by poor air quality while the government and local administrations have made no significant progress in addressing the problem.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said recently that the administration welcomed any lawsuit as a sign of protest.
He claimed that the city administration had taken measures to improve the air quality, including greater use of renewable energy, with the latest example being the introduction of electric Transjakarta buses, which are on trial run.
He pointed out that much of the poor air quality was caused by motor vehicles, with 17 million vehicles registered in the city producing air pollutants.
Anies said Jakarta was heading toward a greener alternative starting with its public transportation services.
“We created this pollution, so we have to tackle the issue step by step,” said Anies. “God willing, Jakarta’s air will gradually be cleaner.”
As for the coal-fired power plants (PLTUs) located around the city that also contribute to the city’s choking air, Anies said these were beyond his authority.
“The Jakarta government can only focus on controlling issues within its jurisdiction. Jakarta cannot do much regarding power plants,” he added.
A report by Greenpeace in 2017 titled Jakarta’s Silent Killer claimed that eight PLTUs operate within 100 kilometers of Jakarta, producing hazardous pollutants and contributing up to 36 percent of air pollution.
Andoro Warih, head of the environmental impact division at the Jakarta Environmental Agency said the agency was pushing to curb carbon emissions and make the air clearer.
He claimed that the agency had carried out various measures such as vehicle emission tests and evaluations and creating the Jakarta Air Quality Management Roadmap 2030, which will serve as integration guidelines for institutions to tackle the issue.
Moreover, in order to promote vehicle emissions tests among vehicle owners, the agency had also released an app called E-Uji Emisi that could show a car’s emissions test history as well as workshops that have emissions-testing facilities.
He also noted that pollution was a transboundary issue that needed to be tackled by multiple stakeholders.
“We cannot do this alone, that is why we welcome citizen’s efforts to help,” Andoro told The Jakarta Post.
The planned lawsuit is designed to ensure better management of air pollution problems, LBH Jakarta public attorney Ayu Ezra Tiara said on Thursday.
“Before deciding on pursuing the legal action we often filed complaints to the Jakarta administration, but there was no response. This is not a spur-of-the-moment thing,” she said.
With the lawsuit, she also expected that people would become more aware of environmental issues and the poor air affecting many lives.
Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Bondan Andriyanu previously said the move would also push the government to update regulations on the issue. He said the government had issued policies on air pollution based on a 1999 regulation, which he said was outdated. There should be new stipulations for the prevailing conditions as the air pollution had become worse, he said, referring to the levels of dangerous small particles called PM2.5, which are above the World Health Organization’s safe limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter as an example.
Greenpeace found that in Jakarta, PM2.5 levels could reach 34.5 micrograms per cubic meter and could pose a health threat, especially to children. With their micro size, PM2.5 can pass through the respiratory system and get into the blood causing various illnesses such as acute respiratory infections. (eyc)
