Jakarta rushes to improve air quality as residents mask up in world’s most polluted city

JAKARTA – For many residents in Jakarta, it still feels like they are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as they leave their homes with N95 face masks.

Though the masks may be uncomfortable, doing without them opens up the risk of breathing in harmful particles in the air, given that just a week ago, the city was

named the world’s most polluted.

“If I don’t wear a mask, then I might get sick from the air. I now do not leave home without it, because even if the pollution is bad, we still have to continue working,” said Mr Kajen, a driver in his 20s who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

The authorities in the Indonesian capital are intensifying efforts to quickly

bring down emissions from vehicles

after data by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir showed Jakarta topped the list as the most polluted city in the world on Aug 9.

Jakarta had consistently ranked among the 10 most polluted cities since May, but topping the list has pushed the authorities to take action over the past few days, following a public outcry.

President Joko Widodo convened a meeting with several ministers and regional leaders on Monday, noting that the air in Jakarta fell into the “unhealthy” category.

The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI), a standard measurement of unhealthy particles in the air, reached a figure of more than 140 in the past fortnight. An AQI figure of 101 to 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, while 150 to 200 is considered unhealthy.

Mr Widodo noted that the bad air quality was due to the prolonged dry season, which has worsened the impact of vehicle and industrial emissions.

Jakarta is known to have

some of the worst traffic conditions in the world,

and the rising number of vehicles, coupled with insufficient public infrastructure, results in jams that can last for hours.

According to the latest available statistics, the number of vehicles in the city rose from 18.7 million in 2018 to more than 21.7 million in 2021.

Following Monday’s meeting, acting Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono said he would reintroduce work-from-home for between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the city’s officials. The city employs about 200,000 people, roughly 60,000 of whom are civil servants.

He also said that Jakarta would more closely monitor environmental building standards, and advised owners of cars with greater engine capacities to use environmentally friendly fuel.

There will be tighter regulation over vehicle emissions, with Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar announcing earlier this week that the authorities are planning to enforce controls more strictly.

The government requires owners of motor vehicles more than three years old to test their emissions annually. The minister said the police will carry out random checks and fine those whose vehicles failed or have not undergone testing. The authorities are considering revoking licences for repeat offenders.

Softer approaches are being considered too. Last Friday, Mr Heru announced that his administration plans to open 23 parks with a combined area of 6.7ha. No timeline was given for this but he noted that improving air quality in Jakarta is a long-term effort.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry has said that the government will speed up its adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), including building more charging stations and standardising EV battery specifications.

Indonesia wants more people to make the switch to EVs, and among the carrots are subsidies for the purchase of new electric two-wheelers and the retrofitting of older vehicles.

But attempts by officials to clear the air and share details about these efforts will not immediately bear fruit in Jakarta. Many city dwellers said all they can do for now is to mask up and spend less time outdoors.

This was also the advice from Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, who appealed on Monday for people to wear masks in anticipation of a rise in respiratory infections due to the pollution.

Said Mr Kajen: “What else can we do? Luckily, I still have many masks from Covid-19 days, but I wonder when the day will come when I can stop buying them once and for all.”