Jakarta's Air Quality Is Not Healthy This Weekend, Residents Are Asked To Use Masks

JAKARTA The air quality in Jakarta on Saturday, September 27 this morning was recorded as being in an unhealthy category for sensitive groups. Residents are advised to wear masks when doing activities outside the home, based on data from the IQAir page which was updated at 08.00 WIB.

IQAir noted that Jakarta's air quality is at 144 with a concentration of PM 2.5 pollutants reaching 53 micrograms per cubic meter. This figure is recorded at 10.6 times higher than the annual air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

PM 2.5 is a fine particle measuring smaller than 2.5 microns contained in the air, including dust, smoke, and soon. This particle exposure in the long term can increase the risk of premature death, especially for people with chronic heart and lung disease.

Health recommendations for air conditions are currently wearing masks when outdoors, reducing outdoor activities, closing windows to prevent pollution from entering, and using indoor air filtering tools.

Nationally, Jakarta is recorded to have the fourth worst air quality in Indonesia today. The first position is occupied by Bandung, West Java (168), followed by Serpong, Tangerang (153) and South Tangerang (153).

The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of DKI Jakarta emphasized that the decline in air quality in the capital city was not only caused by local activities, but also meteorological factors as well as contributions from surrounding areas such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Cianjur.

The results of the emission inventory show that the transportation and industrial sectors are still the two main contributors to air pollution in Jakarta. To reduce pollution, the DKI Provincial Government continues to encourage the use of mass public transportation, requires motor vehicle emission tests, and enforces the law, especially for heavy vehicles.

In addition, the Provincial Government is also developing an early Warning System (EWS) for air pollution. This system is designed to provide real-time air quality information for the next three days, as well as offer mitigation recommendations for the community.

Head of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto, said that the EWS system is not only the basis for data-based policy making, but also aims to protect public health from the bad effects of air pollution.