PLN Answers to Finding of Coal Traces in Jakarta Pollution

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Information of coal elements found to be contained in the city’s pollution has reached the desk of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. This issue was mentioned by him in the Governor’s Instruction No.66/2019 on air quality control that was issued per August 1^st.

The governor ordered Jakarta’s environmental agency to confirm that the monitoring of power plant and industrial emissions are ongoing and active.

On Thursday last week, Anies Baswedan requested state-owned electricity firm PLN to monitor the emissions produced by the city’s electricity power plants, which Anies said has contributed to the city’s declining air quality.  

“I asked PLN to review its chimneys [from its electric power plants] during the last meeting,” said the governor at City Hall. “There shall not be a situation where PLN-owned chimneys contributing to the increasing pollution level.”

 Moreover, Head of the Jakarta Environment Agency Andono Warih added that the emissions from the electricity power plants contributed 9 percent to the city’s pollution. The Jakarta Administration is eyeing on suppressing that number.

“We have a policy where the 9 percent must be overcome,” said Andono.

PLN has two power plants in the area of Jakarta that is located in Muara Karang and Tanjung Priok. According to the inspection so far, the emissions produced by the plants’ chimneys are within the required amount under government regulations.

Executive Vice President Health, Safety, Security and Environment PLN, Antonius R.T. Artono denied the allegations and suspicions that one of its PLTU (power plants) are spewing coal exhausts and contributing to the worsening pollution of Jakarta.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA