Jakarta's air quality ranks third worst in the world on Sunday
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Air quality in Jakarta on Sunday morning fell into the unhealthy category, ranking third among cities with the worst air in the world.
Based on data from the IQAir air quality monitoring site at 05.57 WIB, Jakarta’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 168, placing it in the unhealthy category, with PM2.5 pollution at a concentration of 80 micrograms per cubic metre.
This figure indicates an air quality level that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, as it can be harmful to humans or sensitive animal groups, and may cause damage to plants or aesthetic values.
The site also issued recommendations regarding conditions in Jakarta: residents should avoid outdoor activities. If outdoors, wear a mask, and keep windows closed to avoid polluted outside air.
The good category refers to air quality that has no effect on human or animal health and does not affect plants, buildings or aesthetic values, with a PM2.5 range of 0-50.
Meanwhile, the moderate category refers to air quality that does not affect human or animal health but does affect sensitive plants and aesthetic values, with a PM2.5 range of 51-100.
The city with the worst air quality was Kinshasa (Congo) at 193, followed by Kampala (Uganda) at 176, with Lahore (Pakistan) fourth at 166 and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) fifth at 154.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is preparing a rapid response to tackle air pollution in the capital during the dry season, which is predicted to occur from early May through August.
The rapid measures to handle air pollution during the dry season include improving the air quality monitoring system and motor vehicle emissions testing.
In addition, the DKI Provincial Government has an Air Pollution Control Strategy (SPPU) currently being evaluated from various aspects, ranging from PM2.5 trends and emissions loads per sector to their impact on public health.
According to the DKI Provincial Government, air pollution control cannot be carried out by one region alone in a piecemeal fashion, so integrated joint action between regional apparatus organisations and cross-regional collaboration with areas surrounding Jakarta are required.