Buildings are seen shrouded in haze caused by air pollution in Jakarta on Aug 16. =-- AFP
JAKARTA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): For many residents in Jakarta, they still feel like they are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as they leave their homes with N-95 face masks.
Though masks may prove an uncomfortable fit, going mask-free opens up the risk of breathing in harmful particles in the air, given that the city a week ago was named the world’s most polluted.
“If I don’t wear a mask, then I might get sick from the air. I now do not leave home without it, because even if the pollution is bad, we still have to continue working,” said Kajen, a driver in his 20s who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Authorities in the Indonesian capital have been intensifying efforts to quickly bring down emissions from vehicles after data by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir said Jakarta topped the list as the most polluted city in the world on Aug 9.
Jakarta had consistently ranked among the top 10 since May, but coming out tops has pushed the authorities to take action over the past few days, following a public outcry.
President Joko Widodo convened a meeting with several ministers and regional leaders on Monday, noting that the air in Jakarta fell into the “unhealthy” category.
The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI), a standard measurement of unhealthy particles in the air, reached a figure of more than 140 in the past fortnight. AQI of 101 to 150 is considered to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, while 150 to 200 is considered to be unhealthy.
Widodo noted the bad air quality was due to the prolonged dry season, which has worsened the impact of vehicle and industrial emissions.
Jakarta is known to have some of the worst traffic conditions in the world, and the rising number of vehicles coupled with insufficient public infrastructure results in jams that can last for hours.
According to the latest statistics available, the number of vehicles in the city rose from 18.7 million in 2018 to more than 21.7 million in 2021.
