The Impact Of The Health Of Marunda Residents Is Getting Worse As A Result Of Defamation Of Coal Dust

Coal dust pollution in Marunda/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Air pollution continues to occur over and over again in the Marunda area, North Jakarta. Although the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency (LH) claimed to have carried out field verification on January 17, 2023, for environmental pollution due to coal dust in Marunda, this statement is still being questioned by a number of environmental observer alliances.

Environmental observer Jihan Fauziah Hamdi said that the DKI Jakarta LH Office was asked to be open regarding data on the results of field verification conducted on January 17, 2023, then.

"Demanding for data disclosure related to the results of the field verification of the DKI Jakarta LH Office that the examination carried out is not only related to air pollution, but also to the waste and environmental documents of the company in Marunda," Jihan said in his statement to VOI, Tuesday, February 21.

Jihan said that the factor causing environmental pollution is the obligation of the government to provide access to information that can be known easily by the public. This is also regulated firmly in Article 28F of the 1945 Constitution and Article 65 Paragraph (2) of Law 32/2009.

"The DKI Jakarta LH Service can provide a control scheme for the recurrence of coal dust pollution which has had a negative impact on the health of the Marunda residents for 2 years," he said.

Jihan said that so far the prevention and supervision taken by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and North Jakarta LH Sub-Department have not been running. The DKI Jakarta LH Service is also considered to have failed to inform as soon as possible when there is air pollution caused by coal dust in Marunda.

"The impact has occurred and is felt by the residents of Marunda. The health impact situation in Marunda is getting worse, many residents are affected. The failure and failure of the supervisory function has violated the health of residents in Marunda," he explained.

"We are still waiting for the results of the supervision carried out by the DKI Jakarta LH Office which was promised to be received in mid-March 2023. We hope that the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency will immediately provide guarantees so that coal dust pollution in the Marunda area does not repeat itself," he added.

The DKI Jakarta LH Service, continued Jihan, must also immediately provide field verification results in accordance with a letter of pressure that was sent by TALB with letter number: 02/SK.TALN/I/2023 to the DKI Jakarta LH Office some time ago.

Previously, the DKI LH Office had revealed the perpetrators of the pollution and sanctions until the revocation of the company's environmental permit since September 2022, but in fact, coal dust pollution is still spreading.