1 Year After Losing Air Pollution Claims, Anies Has Not Seen Air Quality Improvement Efforts From Anies

The Coalition for the Air Cleaning Initiative of the Universe Coalition ( Ibukota Coalition)/Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - A group of civil society members of the Coalition for the Air Cleaning Initiative of the Universe Coalition (Ibukota Coalition) unfurled a poster warning DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in front of the DKI Jakarta City Hall regarding air pollution lawsuits. Today, exactly one year the Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court won a citizen lawsuit regarding air pollution in Jakarta. In the decision, the panel of judges ordered the government to improve air quality. Representative of the Capital Coalition, Bondan Andriyannu admitted that his party wanted to collect Anies' promise to comply with the decision on the air pollution lawsuit. Because, Anies did not make an appeal against the decision. "The length of 365 days after winning the citizens' lawsuits, air pollution is still a serious problem. We remind DKI Jakarta to implement its promises. So, we no longer need promises but what actions the government has taken to be able to give people in Jakarta healthy air," said Bondan when met on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Friday, September 16. In this action, the Capital Coalition demonstrated a mannequin trapped in a plastic sheet. This exhibition is spread as a sign that people are currently falling into unhealthy air. "There is a mannequin that is vacuumed by air, this visualizes that if we don't immediately control this unhealthy air, it's as if people don't want to be pressed, breathe unhealthy air," said Bondan. Bondan explained that in the last year, September 14, 2021, until September 14, 2022, there was only one month where the air quality in DKI Jakarta had improved, namely December 2021. Meanwhile, the PM2.5 value decreased due to the rainy season at that time. However, entering the dry season (Juni-July 2022), the PM2.5 value has soared again. Of the five areas that have been recorded, namely Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta, South Jakarta, and North Jakarta, none of them shows PM2.5's annual average value according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) which is 5 µg/m³ per year. On the other hand, the five areas of DKI Jakarta exceed the recommendations of WHO up to 7.2 times. The average annual PM2.5 for Central Jakarta and North Jakarta is in the moderate category, while the other three regions are in the unhealthy category for sensitive groups. The highest is the East Jakarta area with the annual average PM2.5 reaching 44 &mcro; g/m³ or exceeding WHO recommendations up to 8.8 times. Thus, Bondan urged Anies and his staff to immediately issue a grand design for controlling the promised air pollution to a more effective legal umbrella in implementing the order to improve the air quality. "The question is whether the grand design can promise public involvement in efforts to monitor the extent of its success, and can be scientifically measured, not just lip service," he said. For information, a number of residents filed air pollution lawsuits on July 4, 2019. In their petition, the plaintiffs requested that the defendants be proven to have violated human rights, because they were negligent in fulfilling the right to a good and healthy environment. Until finally, the Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court decided that the Republic of Indonesia had committed an unlawful act that resulted in environmental damage and pollution. The five defendants are Defendant I President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Defendant II Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Defendant III Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Defendant IV Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and Defendant V Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan. The defendants were deemed to have violated Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management and the provisions of all relevant laws and regulations. A year ago, September 16, 2021, Anies decided not to challenge the court's decision with an appeal after losing this air pollution lawsuit. "The Central Jakarta District Court has granted the Capital City Coalition's claim regarding air pollution. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has decided not to appeal and is ready to carry out the court's decision for better Jakarta air," said Anies. The defendants were deemed to have violated Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management and the provisions of all relevant laws and regulations. A year ago, September 16, 2021, Anies decided not to challenge the court's decision with an appeal after losing this air pollution lawsuit. "The Central Jakarta District Court has granted the Capital City Coalition's claim regarding air pollution. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has decided not to appeal and is ready to carry out the court's decision for better Jakarta air," said Anies.