Jakarta activists sue government over city air pollution
Residents of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on July 4 filed a lawsuit against the government over the toxic levels of air pollution that regularly blanket the city. Hazardous smog has ocurred for much of the past month, with air quality readings recording high concentrations of harmful microscopic particles known as PM2.5.
A group of 31 concerned residents has sued President Joko Widodo, as well as the ministry of environment and forestry, ministry of health and Jakarta’s governor over the pollution. The plaintiffs – which include activists, office workers and motorcycle taxi drivers – want to raise awareness about the issue and force the government to act.
“The government has neglected people’s rights to breathe healthy air,” lawyer Nelson Nikodemus Simamora said, adding that “they have not maintained air quality at a level that is healthy enough for the 10 million people living here.”
Toxic smog saw Jakarta ranked as the most polluted city in the world for several mornings running last month, forcing residents to wear pollution masks and sparking a storm of social media criticism. Environment groups blame the air pollution on a cocktail of vehicle fumes, smoke and emissions from coal-fired power plants that ring greater Jakarta.
Air Visual, an independent online air quality index monitor, pegged Jakarta at the “very unhealthy” level of 231 on Jun3 25, higher than notoriously polluted cities like India’s capital New Delhi and Beijing in China.
Greenpeace Indonesia criticised that the government was still using outdated environmental regulations from the 1990s.
However, but the head of Jakarta’s environment agency, Andono Warih, denied that Jakarta had the world’s worst air pollution, citing lower government figures pertained using a “different methodology,” the Jakarta Post reported.
Residents of Indonesia's capital Jakarta on July 4 filed a lawsuit against the government over the toxic levels of air pollution that regularly blanket the city. Hazardous smog has ocurred for much of the past month, with air quality readings recording high concentrations of harmful microscopic particles known as PM2.5. A group of 31 concerned residents has sued President Joko Widodo, as well as the ministry of environment and forestry, ministry of health and Jakarta's governor over the pollution. The plaintiffs - which include activists, office workers and motorcycle taxi drivers - want to raise awareness about the issue and...
Residents of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on July 4 filed a lawsuit against the government over the toxic levels of air pollution that regularly blanket the city. Hazardous smog has ocurred for much of the past month, with air quality readings recording high concentrations of harmful microscopic particles known as PM2.5.
A group of 31 concerned residents has sued President Joko Widodo, as well as the ministry of environment and forestry, ministry of health and Jakarta’s governor over the pollution. The plaintiffs – which include activists, office workers and motorcycle taxi drivers – want to raise awareness about the issue and force the government to act.
“The government has neglected people’s rights to breathe healthy air,” lawyer Nelson Nikodemus Simamora said, adding that “they have not maintained air quality at a level that is healthy enough for the 10 million people living here.”
Toxic smog saw Jakarta ranked as the most polluted city in the world for several mornings running last month, forcing residents to wear pollution masks and sparking a storm of social media criticism. Environment groups blame the air pollution on a cocktail of vehicle fumes, smoke and emissions from coal-fired power plants that ring greater Jakarta.
Air Visual, an independent online air quality index monitor, pegged Jakarta at the “very unhealthy” level of 231 on Jun3 25, higher than notoriously polluted cities like India’s capital New Delhi and Beijing in China.
Greenpeace Indonesia criticised that the government was still using outdated environmental regulations from the 1990s.
However, but the head of Jakarta’s environment agency, Andono Warih, denied that Jakarta had the world’s worst air pollution, citing lower government figures pertained using a “different methodology,” the Jakarta Post reported.
