Jakarta's Air Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups This Wednesday Morning

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The air quality in Jakarta has been recorded as unhealthy for sensitive groups, so members of the public are advised to wear masks when outside, according to the IQAir website on Wednesday morning, updated at 05.00 WIB. IQAir records Jakarta’s air quality at 149 points, with a PM2.5 pollutant concentration of 55 micrograms per cubic metre, or 11 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline. PM2.5 consists of particles smaller than 2.5 microns (micrometres) found in the air, including dust, smoke, and soot. Long-term exposure to these particles is linked to premature death, especially in people with chronic heart or lung diseases. Health recommendations related to the current air quality, besides wearing masks for sensitive groups, also include avoiding outdoor activities, closing windows to prevent dirty outdoor air from entering, and turning on air purifiers. Meanwhile, Jakarta’s air quality is ranked second among the worst cities/regions in Indonesia, after South Tangerang, Banten, with 187 points. Positions three to five are occupied by Serpong (142), Bandung (139), and Medan (112). In the meantime, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov DKI) is preparing various solutions to reduce air pollution levels, including building a waste-to-energy power plant (PLTSa) in Jakarta and transforming the transportation sector to electric. In addition, Pemprov DKI emphasises that controlling air pollution cannot be done by one region partially, so integrated joint actions are needed among regional device organisations (OPD) as well as cross-regional collaboration around Jakarta. Pemprov DKI has set a commitment to control air pollution for the 2023–2030 period through Governor’s Decree Number 576 of 2023 on the Air Pollution Control Strategy (SPPU). The strategy covers three main pillars, namely strengthening air pollution control governance, reducing emissions from mobile sources such as transportation, and reducing emissions from stationary sources such as industry and other activities.