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Air in Tangerang, Bekasi even worse than in Jakarta
Air pollution is worsening not only in Jakarta itself but also in the capital’s satellite cities
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Air pollution is worsening not only in Jakarta itself but also in the capital’s satellite cities.
Data recorded by air quality monitor AirVisual on Tuesday show that South Tangerang and Bekasi had worse concentrations of pollutants than Jakarta, even as the capital topped the list of cities with the worst pollution in the world for the umpteenth time.
Jakarta’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 160, with a fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of 73.9 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), which is categorized as “unhealthy”.
However, the AQI reading for South Tangerang was 213 with a PM2.5 concentration of 162.9 µg/m³, almost twice that of Jakarta.
The previous day, AirVisual showed that air pollution in Bekasi, West Java, was worse than in Jakarta. At 8:30 a.m., Bekasi’s air pollution level was at 182 with a PM2.5 concentration of 115 µg/m³.
Those figures signify air pollution at a multiple of the World Health Organization’s standard of a PM2.5 concentration of 25 µg/m³.
Constant exposure to PM2.5, alongside other pollutants like PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, can lead to various respiratory problems. Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) says air pollution can reduce a person’s life expectancy by 2.3 years.
Given that air pollution knows no boundaries, Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Bondan Andriyanu said there was an urgent need for all state officials within the Greater Jakarta area to take charge of the problem.
“The administrations of Banten and West Java share the responsibility [for air pollution] with the Jakarta administration,” he said on Tuesday.
A lawsuit submitted by some Greater Jakarta residents grouped under the Tim Advokasi Ibukota (Jakarta Advocacy Team) with the Central Jakarta District Court urges the governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java, as well as the central government, to take action to tackle air pollution.
The lawsuit resume, which was made available to The Jakarta Post, states that the residents demand that the three regional administrations work together to reduce air pollution in Greater Jakarta.
“The governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java [must] make better air pollution [assessments], which includes the pollutant sources, the meteorological and geographic conditions in the respective jurisdictions and taking into consideration the spread of emissions,” the lawsuit reads.
The three administrations are urged to devise “strategies and action plans to control air pollution” in their respective provinces and implement them collaboratively, and “to coordinate in controlling the pollutant spread within each administration that could affect air quality in other areas”, the lawsuit continues.
The lawsuit is also addressed to the Home Ministry, urging the minister to better control the administrations of Jakarta, Banten and West Java in taking measures to reduce pollution.
Earlier this month, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan signed Gubernatorial Instruction No. 66/2019 on air quality control. Out of various pollutant sources like industry, construction and power plants, Anies emphasized the transportation sector.
The instruction, among other measures, expands the odd-even traffic policy, limits the age of privately owned vehicles and demands regular emission tests.
An expansion of the odd-even policy entered a trial run this week, and the measure is expected to officially take effect on Sept. 1. Adding to that, by 2025, the city will no longer allow on roads private vehicle that are more than 10 years old.
“We haven’t seen the other administrations do anything. That raises a big question,” Bondan said.
Bekasi Environment Agency acting head Kustantinah said that Bekasi could have worse air pollution at times because the pollutants were carried with the wind from Jakarta.
“We can’t predict how the wind blows. The air pollution could go from Jakarta to anywhere in the Greater Jakarta area,” she said recently as quoted by kompas.com.
She also suspected some ongoing construction projects across the municipality and private vehicles used by commuters back and forth between Jakarta and Bekasi every day as major sources of pollution.
When the air quality in Depok was recorded at 170 by AirVisual on July 16, the Depok Environment Agency refuted the data and said data from the air pollution standard index (ISPU) showed Depok at level 11.
“Level 11 of the ISPU is categorized as safe. [The air quality] doesn’t affect the health of humans and animals,” the agency’s environment control, pollution and arrangement division head Bambang Supoyo said.
