Walhi says city's masterplan has incorrect strategy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi)
\nhas criticized the implementation of the city's masterplan, which
\nthey believe has caused major problems for the public.<\/p>\n
Zukri Saad, a member of the Walhi executive council, told The
\nJakarta Post yesterday that the city administration is the source
\nof several difficulties because they have applied an incorrect
\nstrategy in managing the city's masterplan.<\/p>\n
\"If the Sudirman Central Business District starts operating,
\nthe business complex will be occupied by around 150,000 people
\nand we do not have an integrated transportation system to serve
\nthem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the environmental supportive resource in the
\narea has been unable to support the activities.<\/p>\n
\"The Sudirman area is not supposed to be this crowded,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Zukri said that the press of hundreds of thousands of people
\nin some buildings on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin during the rush
\nhour has caused many problems, such as traffic congestion,
\ninefficient use of water and air pollution.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Saut M. Lubis, the Director of Sea and Air
\nPollution Prevention Control Agency (Bapedal), acknowledged that
\nthe air pollution in Jakarta was mostly due to the exhaust fumes
\nfrom Jakarta's passing vehicles.<\/p>\n
Previously, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja told the plenary
\nsession of the City Council at City Hall that one of the major
\nsuccess stories over the past year was how Jakarta had managed to
\nkeep its environment clean and healthy.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said his administration would continue making the city
\ncleaner, healthier and more beautiful by demolishing slums to
\npave the way for apartment construction. He also said he would
\nset aside more plots for trees.<\/p>\n
Difficult<\/p>\n
Saut added, however, that applying emissions control standards
\nwas more difficult for motor vehicles than industry.<\/p>\n
\"Controlling the traffic emissions is not only a technical
\nmatter, the problem is related to the other factors such as
\nsocial and economic conditions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We could not rigidly apply a regulation to restrict the
\noperation of all vehicles which discharge thick exhaust fumes
\nfrom their mufflers because it would put many of the city busses
\nout of operation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that the old vehicles usually discharge thick exhaust
\nfumes.<\/p>\n
\"In Singapore, their government prohibited the operation of
\nvehicles which had already been used for 10 years, while the same
\nregulation would be judged as social discrimination here,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, Saut said that to solve the problem the government
\nplanned to produce low lead carbonate level gasoline from Exor I,
\nthe oil refinery owned by state-owned oil company Pertamina in
\nBalongan, West Java.<\/p>\n
He said that the lead content of Exor I production will only
\nrange from 0.2 grams per liter to 0.3 grams per liter.<\/p>\n
Saut explained that before 1990 the lead content in the
\ngasoline and fuel which was sold in Indonesia was around 0.7
\ngrams of lead per liter to 0.84 grams per liter. Today, the
\ngovernment has been able to decrease the lead content to 0.44
\ngrams per liter.<\/p>\n
The unleaded fuel is an international standard fuel which
\ncontains less than 0.013 grams of lead per liter.<\/p>\n
He said that unleaded gasoline is already widely used in many
\ncountries including in Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
According to research carried by the Urban Environment
\nResearch Office (KPPL) in 1993, the content of pollutant elements
\nin Jakarta's air was increased gradually.<\/p>\n
The office reported that the dust element in the city's air
\nhas exceeded the city's tolerable standard of 260 micro gram per
\ncubic meter.<\/p>\n
The highest lead carbonate element in the city's air was found
\nin Sawah Besar area in Central Jakarta with 11.75 micro grams per
\nmeter cubic and the lowest was found in Pondok Gede area in East
\nJakarta, with 0.08 micro grams per cubic meter. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/walhi-says-citys-masterplan-has-incorrect-strategy-1447893297",
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