Publisher (Jakarta Post)
Jakarta ● Saturday, November 25, 2023 air pollution, Jakarta, Supreme Court, human rights, respiratory infections, vehicles, coal plant, movement
Justice appears to have been served as last week the Supreme Court upheld fines imposed on the central and Jakarta governments for failing to address years of air pollution in the city. However, justice will be denied if the government refuses to accept the final and binding decision of the Supreme Court.
To demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and their responsibility to protect citizens, both the central government and the Jakarta administration must take steps to implement the Supreme Court ruling. The more the government profits, the more people will get sick or die from the toxic air they breathe.
Challenging the court's decision in court would show a lack of wisdom and statesmanship on the part of government officials and a lack of respect for human rights. Clean and healthy air is a fundamental right of Jakarta citizens and must be protected by all who live and work in the capital and the state.
President Joko "Djakowi" Widodo, his entourage, the ministers of health and interior, and the acting governor of Jakarta must not lose the legal battle launched against them in 2021 by individuals and civil society groups as a last resort. Demands to address the suffocating air pollution have gone unanswered, if not ignored.
When the Jakarta District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs more than two years ago, the government chose to continue the futile fight rather than atone for its failure to reduce pollution. The lost opportunities prolonged the suffering of many, some of whom may have died.
Jakarta's air is consistently among the worst in the world. On Friday, for example, the city reached an air quality index (AQI) of 174, 20 times the World Health Organization's minimum standard, classifying it as "unhealthy," according to measurements by Swiss technology company IQAir. .
Air quality has barely improved since the government took measures to curb Jakarta's chronic air pollution months ago following persistent media reports of the city's poor air quality. Acting Governor Heru Budi Harton has ordered remote work for city officials. Jakarta police have proposed an even number plate policy on motorbikes as the number of motorbikes in circulation is expected to exceed 17.3 million by 2022, according to the National Police Traffic Directorate, in addition to extending the ban to private vehicles.
Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya acknowledged the significant contribution of the industrial and transport sectors to the aviation crisis in Jakarta. Cars with internal combustion engines account for 44 percent of the pollution, compared to 34 percent from coal-fired power plants in and around Jakarta.
A 2020 report by the Center for Research, Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that air pollution from coal-fired power plants in Greater Jakarta is responsible for 2,500 premature deaths a year and health problems such as immune, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases diseases. .
The health agency for the Ceylon Banten region, where the Suralaya coal plant is located, reported 17,382 cases between January and June this year, more than 3,200 in areas near the plant. More research is needed to determine whether plant operations have anything to do with respiratory disease outbreaks, but it is known that gases emitted by these plants, including nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), are a danger to people's health Threat
Now, with the election just around the corner, we expect the government to feel more pressure to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the right to clean air in line with the Supreme Court ruling.
