Air Quality In Jogja Improves Due To The Implementation Of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions

YOGYAKARTA - The decrease in the mobility of residents during the Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) since July 3 has contributed to the improvement of air quality in Yogyakarta City, according to the Head of the Environmental Laboratory of the Environmental Service.

"This decrease in CO concentration is strongly suspected due to the level of community mobility which also decreased during the implementation of Emergency PPKM", said Head of the Environmental Laboratory Technical Implementation Unit of the Yogyakarta City Environmental Service (DLH), Sutomo, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, July 14.

According to the Environmental Laboratory of DLH Yogyakarta City, the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) in Yogyakarta City in the period 1 to 13 July decreased 40 percent. Other air pollution indicators such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) also decreased.

Since the beginning of July 2021, there has not been a day with an unfavorable air quality level in Yogyakarta City. Since the beginning of July, the air condition in the area has not been considered to have a negative effect on humans, animals, and plants.

During June, in the city of Yogyakarta, there is still 10 percent of days with moderate air quality, air quality that is still acceptable for human, animal, and plant health.

Sutomo said residents of Yogyakarta City can monitor the city's air quality conditions through the ISPUNET application which can be downloaded on the Playstore.

"This application is an application from the ministry. By default, ISPUNET will access the nearest air monitoring station (data)", he said, adding that the nearest Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) will automatically be connected to the AQMS in Yogyakarta City.

On Wednesday at 12.00 p.m. local time, the ISPUNET application showed the air quality in Yogyakarta City was good with a PM2.5 concentration of 35.

According to data from the Yogyakarta City Transportation Service, community mobility has decreased by 57 percent due to the 24-hour blockade on a number of roads and the inspection of documents for travelers from outside the region during the implementation of PPKM.