Inhabited by more than 10 million people, Jakarta easily becomes one of the most populous cities in the world. However, with all those numbers, none is safe from the hazardous air pollution. Millions of lives are threatened in Jakarta, and this is a story about Jakarta and air pollution.
Istu Prayogi, a citizen of Jakarta, has been suffering from the effect of air pollution for a long period. In the last 10 years, Istu is diagnosed with a respiratory illness, more specifically in his lungs. Istu is never a smoker. He also lives in a clean residence. His doctor, furthermore, explains that his lungs are sensitive to polluted air. Thus, living in current Jakarta would not make his health better.
“The doctor diagnosed that there are some sorts of nodules on my lungs and stated that my lungs are sensitive to air pollutants. For this, I am required to wear a mask all the time. This makes me uncomfortable and disturbs my activities,” he explained.
Unfortunately, Istu is not the only one suffering from this. Thousands or even millions of people are experiencing the same. Some might endure, some might develop a similar disease, and some might be worse.
As shown by AirVisual on August 13, 2019, Jakarta ranks third as the most air-polluted metropolis, with US AQI of 152. This number does not mean good news, especially for the citizens of Jakarta.
When asked about the concern, the government has yet to announce any countermeasures. People, moreover, keep blaming the government. But, is the government the one and only to blame?
Also read: About Hong Kong Protest, China Warns Protesters
Speaking of Responsibility, …
Who is responsible for this mess in Jakarta? People are raising this question. The answers, however, mostly refer to the government. After all, it is always easy to play the finger of suspicion.
Regarding the situation, who lives in Jakarta? Is Jakarta only inhabited by the government? Or probably a particular group or community? Or maybe a certain race or religion? Nope, Jakarta belongs to its people, its citizens.
Regardless of whether the government is at fault, everyone should be responsible. Everyone should contribute to make Jakarta a better place. Every contribution counts, every action matters.
For example, one of the companies working in the sectors, PT Higienis Indonesia, is taking this matter seriously. As the company which sells air purifier and other products, they are very concerned about the pollution rates in Jakarta. For that, they are trying to develop their best products to help combat the existent problem.
Another instance comes from Greenpeace Indonesia. Accordingly, they are working hard to view the matters from the systematic and infrastructural perspectives. Recently, they have pointed out limited availability of air monitoring instruments in Jakarta. Also, they mentioned about loopholes in the working regulations.
However, as a normal citizen, what can Jakarta’s people do? Actually, there are many things people can do, such as lessening the use of private transportation, reducing smoking at every place, and so forth. Begin them from ourselves for small acts help. Start now, do not wait till tomorrow.
Also read: Laos to Invest in Disaster Risk Reduction
