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)