Heru Budi Requires 300 High Buildings In Jakarta To Install Water Mist For IDR 50 Million For Air Sirami

Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono. (Diah-VOI)

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono said there are 300 tall buildings in Jakarta that will be required to install water mass equipment as an effort to control air pollution in the capital city.

Heru said he would call high building managers to ask them to buy the water mist equipment for Rp50 million.

"I will gradually summon 100-100 (building managers) at the city hall for us to explain. The schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," Heru told reporters, Tuesday, August 29.

Heru emphasized that he requires each DKI Regional Work Unit (SKPD) and DKI BUMD to purchase water mists to reduce Jakarta's air pollution, and will ask the private sector to do the same.

The DKI Provincial Government, he continued, will not supply a water mist procurement budget. Moreover, the operation of water mist with a purchase price of tens of millions is quite effective because it is used repeatedly every dry season.

"There is no budget. Buy each one. They want all of them. That's not too expensive either," said Heru.

"The condition of drought is not only hot weather this year. Next year we will meet again. Moreover, the BMKG said that in March next year it will enter the summer. So it is standard every year when the dry season or summer, there is pollution, yes it is used," he added.

The government has started to carry out micro weather modification technology in the form of spraying water using a water mist generator from above the building as an effort to control air pollution in Jakarta.

The DKI Provincial Government, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), and Polda Metro Jaya operated a water mass from the Pertamina building on Sunday, August 27.

"We sprayed the above of the Pertamina building and the bottom du was immediately measured with a PM 2.5 device. It turned out to reduce PM 2.5 levels around the building. The equipment is from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry," said Head of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency Asep Kuswanto to reporters, Monday, August 28.

Asep said that spraying water from above the building was effective enough to bind PM 2.5, thereby reducing the level of air pollution in the capital city.

On the other hand, Asep also asked the managers of private buildings to also install water mist generators so that water spraying from above the building can be more evenly distributed.

"We are currently collecting data on tall buildings in Jakarta that we can suggest installing the water mist. If our data is around 1,300 buildings throughout Jakarta. We are currently mapping which buildings may be the most appropriate for us to try," said Asep.