Fighting fire with fire

Fighting fire with fire

Pollution in Jakarta has reached unacceptable levels. Are you,
reader, resigned to accepting the fact that Jakarta has the
inglorious distinction of being one of the world's most polluted
cities?

Are you prepared to accept the fact that the air we breathe is
becoming more and more unhealthy? Of course it is time the
government took action and forced the buses and taxis and bajaj
and dirty motorbikes and old cars to clean up their exhaust or
get off the road.

We all know that greedy owners of bus fleets refuse to spend
money on proper maintenance. For a start we should all write to
appropriate government people and put pressure on them to take
action.

Then there is the problem of burning rubbish. The smoke from
these thousands and thousands of fires is also a major cause of
air pollution. There is something you can do now to stop the
fires. On my street it finally got to be too much. Morning and
evening, smoke everywhere, in the street, in the house. Finally I
took direct personal action with a bucket and water and put them
all out. And I will continue to do so.

I naturally have written to all my neighbors requesting their
cooperation in preventing their servants from burning garbage and
leave it to the rubbish collectors to remove.

We have regular rubbish collection, there is no excuse for
burning. They even burn plastic bags, which in known to produce
carcinogenic gases.

Why don't you follow my example in your street. Let's do our
bit to clean up Jakarta.

MARY DROST

Jakarta