Jakarta dwellers bear the brunt of pollution

Jakarta dwellers bear the brunt of pollution

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

People who ride in chauffeured and air-conditioned cars are,
perhaps, only aware of air pollution in Jakarta as being a
blanket of haze perpetually hanging over the city.

However, for those who cruise the capital's streets on
motorcycles, the pollution is a clear and present danger.

For those who rely on motorbikes, their daily trips through
the city streets are often far from being pleasant as they brave
the scorching sun and choking exhaust fumes emitted by motor
vehicles.

"The smoke is thick and suffocating and it makes my eyes hurt
during the night, although I always cover my face when I'm on the
road," said Hadiyanto, an employee who usually rides a motorbike
to get to his office in West Jakarta.

He said a double ply cover he wore under his helmet and over
his face was of little use as the fumes always managed to get
through.

"However, I believe it will help me avoid respiratory problems
in the long run," he said.

The poor quality of Jakarta's air has for years been irking
another Jakarta dweller, Ridwan Nainggolan, who runs a repair
shop on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta.

"The air is so polluted, I can only breath easily when I
leave the city. You can tell how bad the city's air pollution is
by comparing it with that of other cities," he said.

Hadiyanto and Ridwan are among the Jakarta residents who have
to bear the brunt of the worsening air pollution produced by gas
emissions from motor vehicles.

Both have to inhale polluted air laden with hazardous
substances such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
dioxide and lead.

"The 2003 State of the Environment Report" in Indonesia
released by the Office of the State Minister for the Environment
revealed that Jakarta was one of five cities in the country whose
air contains toxic elements above the tolerable level of 150
microgram/m3.

Jakarta has 57 days per year when the level of toxins in its
air exceeds the level.

The report says that vehicular emissions are the largest
contributors to the deteriorating quality of air in the capital.

In 2003, Jakarta registered 4.148 million motor vehicles.
Motorcycles account for 55.7 percent of the figure, while private
cars make up 29.19 percent.

The report also revealed that the water from the rivers
running through the capital was dangerous for human consumption
given the high concentration of coliform bacteria, as well as
chemical waste.

The water from the Ciliwung river, for instance, could no
longer be used for human consumption. "A sample of water taken
from the river shows that the biological oxygen demand (BOD) was
62.7 mg/L, far above the tolerable level of 2 mg/L."

Ground water, the last resort for many Jakarta residents, is
no longer dependable as the decrease in the groundwater level has
reached an alarming level, the report says.

"The groundwater level in Jakarta has dropped to 48 meters
below sea level," the report says, adding that the groundwater
level in other cities, such as Semarang, Central Java, was 28
meters.