Head Of BRIN: Air Pollution Is Part Of The Natural Cycle

Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko explained scientifically about the phenomenon of air pollution at the BJ Habibie Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (5/9/2023). (ANTARA/Sugiharto Purnama)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko said that the air pollution that envelopes various cities is the natural cycle that occurs every year due to the dry season. "The current air pollution is the natural cycle due to drought, so pollutant particles fly," he said in a statement quoted in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, September 6. Handoko said the dry season makes the air temperature hotter and the land dry. This condition produces static electricity which makes pollutants float longer in the air and cannot descend to the ground. According to him, pollutants can only be overflowed through rainwater assistance. The generic way that can be done now is to create artificial rain through weather modification technology. "Polutan cannot go down and only rain can be reduced, so we wet the weather modification technology. That's a shortcut," said Handoko. He further said that weather modification technology must be carried out wisely and carefully because the operation is part of intervention towards nature. BRIN held the weather modification technology operation based on BNPB instructions, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the provincial government. "The weather modification technology has no impact on the environment. It's a natural cycle, we don't want to regulate nature at will," concluded Handoko. In addition to artificial rain, Indonesia also uses fog generator technology to destroy pollutants flying in the air.

The equipment is installed on high buildings to reduce PM2.5 concentration locally because it is able to produce water bursts with a smooth size and bind pollutants to fill the soil surface.