On air pollution

On air pollution

Two letters appearing in the June 20, 1996 edition of The
Jakarta Post from Mr. Coelho and Mr. Suradibroto, which followed
Mr. Gentry's (The Jakarta Post, June 18, 1996) prompt me to raise
an additional issue concerning the vexatious question of
Jakarta's polluted air.

I seem to remember reading a report in The Jakarta Post some
weeks (maybe months) ago that what might be termed as "anti-
pollution commandos" were to be established to patrol city
streets and crack down on (drivers of) vehicles emitting clouds
of black diesel smoke. So far, I have seen no sign of any such
activity: trucks and buses continue to belch their noxious fumes,
and the air becomes even more heavily polluted.

Was this just a good idea that was then allowed to fade away,
or are there in fact any of these "commandos" in operation? I'd
be interested to know.

R.B. SAWREY-COOKSON

Jakarta