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