Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Jakartans have experienced more days of "good" air quality this year than in the same period of any other year since 2000, the city environmental management agency says.
The agency speculates the increased number of days of good air quality from January to July is due to the success of the vehicle emissions control programs run by the agency and private firms.
In the past seven months, the agency has recorded 54 days of good air quality. Last year, it said there were only 45 days of good air quality all year.
"We suspect the vehicle testing program has significantly reduced air pollution. But we will carry out further studies to be certain," Rina Suryani, the head of the agency's air pollution unit, said Friday.
Rina said more people were voluntarily taking their cars to emissions testing stations but agency data on the number of private cars tested has yet to be made available. "The increasing interest in the program is partly due to our campaigns," she said.
2006 data from the Partnership for Clean Emissions, however, reveals that only about 1 percent of private vehicles in the city have undergone in-shop emissions tests in the last two years. There are more than 2.5 million private cars in Jakarta.
The emissions test is a key part of the 2005 bylaw on air pollution, which requires private cars to undergo emission tests and public transportation to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The administration says it is aiming to boost participation in the program in October, after the Idul Fitri holidays.
Last week, to demonstrate its commitment to reducing air pollution in the capital, the administration issued a gubernatorial decree that also makes it mandatory for motorcycles and public transportation vehicles – including buses and bajaj – to be tested.
Despite the encouraging data on air quality, the agency has warned the public that this month's dry weather could pose serious health risks.
Rina said dust pollutants or particulate matter (PM10) remained one of the highest contributors to air pollution in the city, exceeding the tolerable standard of 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
She said people should carefully watch for any signs of weather-related health problems, such as respiratory diseases from dust, during the dry months. "The volume of dust can rise when there is very little rainfall," she said.
Diesel-powered vehicles, factories and coal-fired power plants are considered among the major sources of dust.
Budi Haryanto, an environmental health expert from the University of Indonesia, said dry air and dust could cause coughing, wheezing and other respiratory problems. "Exposure to dust could also trigger asthma."
He said respiratory diseases were among the top 10 diseases in urban areas like Jakarta. "The administration needs to inform the public of the health risks from dust exposure so they can limit their outdoor activities."
He said the administration also needed to convey the results of air quality monitoring to the public.
The monitoring stations measure the concentrations of five main pollutants – PM10, nitrogen oxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3).
Clean air campaigners have long doubted the validity of the city's air quality tests because the five existing monitoring stations are poorly maintained.
Ahmad Safrudin, the chairman of the Joint Committee for Leaded Gasoline Phase-Out, said the administration had not taken serious action to combat air pollution in the capital.
"The administration must ensure residents experience at least 10 months of good air quality a year," he said. He said people in the low-income bracket were more vulnerable to air pollution hazards.