Air Pollution; Plaintiffs Outline 5 Anies Baswedan's Violations

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The lawyer of Coalition for the Clean Air Initiative (Ibukota), Nelson Nikodemus Simamora, outlined Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan's acts against the law during the trial at Central Jakarta District Court, Thursday, December 19.

Nelson said Anies did not fulfill his obligations to enforce the law related to the vehicle emissions test, while it was mandated in Article 6 and 7 of the Environment Ministerial Decree No. 5 of 2006.

“Defendant V (city governor) did not impose a mandatory vehicle emission test so far, but rather a voluntary one,” said Nelson before the panel of judges.

According to Nelson, Anies also did not provide enough Air Quality Monitoring Stations (SKPU). Five existing stations could not thoroughly monitor the city’s air quality. Anies admitted the number was not adequate, he added.

The governor, Nelson went on, did not take an inventory of emission as well, which was evident from his silence about the information of emissions from pollutants. “This is necessary as a basis to take steps in preventing air pollution,” Nelson said.

Anies did not have strategies and planned acts to recover the city’s worst air, which the task was noted in Environment Ministerial Decree No. 12/2010, Nelson said, adding that “because the defendant did not have a target emission load reduction for the city.”

Additionally, Anies Baswedan was also accused of not having coordination with Banten Governor Wahidin Halim as the defendant I and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil as the defendant II in tackling air pollution across the three border areas.

On July 4, 2019, 31 Jakartans filed citizen lawsuit to Central Jakarta District Court. They demanded seven defendants to meet their rights on clean air. The defendants included President, Environment and Forestry Minister, Health Minister, Home Affairs Minister, Jakarta Governor, West Java Governor, and Banten Governor.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA