`I have to wear a mask due to air pollution'

`I have to wear a mask due to air pollution'

Environmental degradation is already affecting many people's
lives. Among the problems is the serious air pollution, which is
harmful to human beings and any living species. To mark the
commemoration of World Environment Day, which fell on Thursday,
The Jakarta Post talked to some city residents about the issue.

Muhidin, 36, works as a street sweeper in East Jakarta. He
lives in a rented house in East Jakarta with several other
people. His wife and three children live in Bogor, West Java:

The pollution is so bad in the city that I have to wear a mask
every day. It is hard to take, but I have responsibilities so I
have to deal with it.

I always start working at three in the morning, when the
pollution isn't so bad. At that time of the day I can do my job
comfortably.

However, when dawn breaks people start coming out on the
streets and start littering again. It pisses me off.

I mean, I get mad when I sweep up an area and people come
right behind me throwing their garbage on the ground.

I guess people are just stupid and don't know anything about
keeping the streets clean.

The trash cans along the sidewalk are useless because people
don't use them for their garbage.

They don't know how hard our job is cleaning the streets every
day. If a local administration official finds a street that is
not clean, our boss will give us a warning.

Miskan, 52, sells cigarettes along a street in Jatinegara,
East Jakarta. He lives in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, with his
friends. His wife and three children live in Kuningan, West Java:

I think air pollution and other kinds of pollution are very
serious now. The pollution sometimes affects my breathing.

Luckily, I have gotten used to the pollution so it doesn't
bother me so much.

I usually have a nap under a tree on the roadside on hot,
sunny days, to escape from the choking smoke of the public buses.
That's how I temporarily escape the pollution.

Another problem in my neighborhood is that lots of people just
dump their crap and garbage anywhere.

In my neighborhood, people just dump their trash near their
houses. These piles of trash keep growing until Sunday, when
everyone gets together to clean up the neighborhood.

I think the initiative shown by the neighborhood unit chief is
praiseworthy in this case. Residents are willing to work together
to pick up the garbage and clean up the neighborhood.

I like it when my environment is clean. But there are still
many more residents who do not care about the garbage.

Nasikin, 48, is a bajaj driver in Central Jakarta and East
Jakarta. He lives in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, with a couple
of other drivers:

Everybody knows that air pollution sucks. The exhaust fumes
from all the cars and stuff on the streets is almost impossible
to take, especially when there's a traffic jam.

Sometimes I think I'm gonna die from all that smoke. But I
have a herbal drink three times a week, which helps me.
Otherwise, I'd be sick all the time because working out on the
streets is unhealthy.

I don't think bajaj are the worst polluters. Public minibuses
are a lot worse because they use diesel. Bajaj are cleaner
because we use gas.

Compared to my village, the city is really dirty and
unhealthy.

And there's no use cleaning the rivers here because people
will just dump their trash in them again.

-- Leo Wahyudi S