TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Greenpeace Indonesia announced that the average air quality of Jakarta throughout January 2020 was in the category of moderate up to unhealthy.

“During the rainy season, Jakarta’s air is still polluted,” said Bondan Andriyanu, the energy campaigner of Greenpeace Indonesia, when met in Cikini, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, February 12.

Referred to the data obtained from the air monitoring station in the US Embassy, the city’s air quality last month was recorded in the good category for only a day on January 30 with the average concentration of ultra-fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) of 0-12 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m³).

Meanwhile, for the rest days of the month, the air quality category was moderate or at PM 2.5 of 12.1-35.5 µg/m³ and unhealthy at PM 2.5 35.5-55.4 µg/m³.

Today, February 12, the capital’s air quality is in the category of unhealthy with an AQI (air quality index) score of 114 from the threshold 500, with PM 2.5 of 41 µg/m³, which ranks Jakarta as the 25th city with worst air pollution.

The data dismissed the assumption made by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan that blamed the dry season for the city’s pollution. Anies conveyed the remark in response to AirVisual data naming Jakarta as the world’s most polluted city in July 2019.

In addition, the findings rebutted the city administration’s claim that the air quality improved following the implementation of several policies, including the expanded odd-even policy and factory chimneys control.

TAUFIQ SIDDIQ