TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Clean Air Initiative Coalition (Koalisi IBUKOTA) slammed Jakarta Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono’s statement in response to air pollution in the capital. In its written statement, the civil coalition expressed concern over the worrying air conditions in the city in recent months.

“The IBUKOTA Coalition regrets and criticizes the response of the Acting Governor who takes the issue of air pollution lightly today,” the coalition wrote in a statement, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.

The coalition, however, did not specify what statement Heru Budi made. However, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat had previously said that his side could not improve the air quality alone and that collaboration with the relevant governments of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, as well as the residents, was needed.

“As for the industries [accused of being behind the pollution], they have moved outside the city of Jakarta, but there are still some that cause air pollution. [The pollution] comes from two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles,” Heru Budi said in an online discussion of Forum Merdeka Barat 9, on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

The coalition underlined that Jakarta is the most polluted city in the last two months based on the IQAir website. Yesterday, August 8, the Air Quality Index (AQI) score even reached 124, which is classified as unhealthy.

As of today at 8 p.m., Tempo observed that the city’s air quality score was 151 and the amount of PM 2.5 was 55.4 μm/m3. This figure was 11.3 times higher than the WHO’s safety limit of 25 μm/m3.

“Today's air quality proves that the government is not serious about improving air quality,” the coalition stressed.

The coalition further emphasized that deteriorating air quality can cause various diseases. The coalition also alluded to the citizen lawsuit over Jakarta's air pollution, in which the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court found the government guilty of negligence for failing to address Jakarta's poor air quality on September 16, 2021.

NINDA DWI RAMADHANI

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