Indonesia is considering measures to improve Jakarta’s air quality, which deteriorated to become the worst in the world on Sunday.
(Bloomberg) — Indonesia is considering measures to improve Jakarta’s air quality, which deteriorated to become the worst in the world on Sunday.
President Joko Widodo is considering imposing a pollution tax and requiring vehicles with 2.4-liter capacity or more to use the highest octane fuel. The extended dry season, vehicle emissions and fumes from nearby factories especially those relying on coal for power have worsened the capital’s air quality, he said in the cabinet meeting on Monday.
“Over the last week, the air quality in the Greater Jakarta Area has been very, very bad,” the president said.
The city of 10 million people has been under a haze that’s kept its air quality at unhealthy levels. It isn’t the first time that Jakartans have complained about the pollution, which may be causing more than 100,000 people to suffer from acute respiratory infection each month. In 2021, a local court ruled that the city’s residents have a right to clean air and the government must devise clear strategy to reduce pollution.
Jokowi is finally calling for action. He is urging stricter supervision of industrial sites and power plants as well as weather manipulation to reduce the haze. The government is also encouraging civil servants to use public transportation or to work from home. Vehicles must pass emissions test to travel within the Greater Jakarta Area, while power plants and factories will be subject to industrial chimney standards.
In the longer term, the government will seek to reduce the use of combustion engine vehicles and replace public transportation with electric models faster while urging people to use it more.
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