Jakarta to have new pollution index displays
Jakarta to have new pollution index displays
JAKARTA (JP): The capital will soon have four new electronic
pollution index displays showing levels of five air pollutants at
four locations, an official said on Thursday.
Head of the city's environmental impact management agency
(Bapedalda) Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno said that the Made-in-
Austria devices, a grant from the Austrian government, would
function soon after his staff complete their training.
"The training will last for about a month," Aboejoewono told
The Jakarta Post.
However, he could not say when the training would start but
said that the training will be conducted by an Austrian agency,
whose personnel set up the electronic displays.
Unlike the current displays, such as the one near Gambir
railway station in Central Jakarta, the new displays look more
sophisticated and helpful.
Head of Bapedalda's air and noise pollution unit, M. Yusuf,
said the Gambir display board only provides the pollution index
without details.
The new ones, he said, will show the levels of each of the
five air pollutants, namely PM10 (dust particles), SO2 (Sulfide),
CO (Carbon Monoxide), O3 (Ozone), and NO2 (Nitride).
The level begins with bagus (good) marked with a score of
between 0 and 50, sedang (medium) with a score from 51 to 100,
tidak sehat (unhealthy) from 101 to 200, sangat tidak sehat (very
unhealthy) from 201 to 300, and berbahaya (dangerous) from 301 to
500.
Yusuf said that the old display in Gambir will be replaced
with a new one soon.
According to him, the new displays, constructed since May, are
aimed at raising public concerns on the air pollution in Jakarta.
"With the presence of the displays, people will be able to see
whether or not it's healthy for them to go out, or even reduce
their activities, especially those that contribute to the
increase in air pollution," Yusuf said.
The displays are already in place at Pondok Indah shopping
mall in South Jakarta, in front of Mal Ciputra shopping mall in
West Jakarta, Jl. Boulevard Raya in North Jakarta, and Jl. A.
Yani in East Jakarta.
Yusuf said that the average air pollution level in the capital
is in the medium range.
"We have a healthy index only during Saturday and holidays. In
any other day including Sunday, the index is medium," he said.
(08)