Pollution Crisis in Jakarta Triggers Respiratory Illnesses

(MENAFN) More than six million residents in Indonesia's bustling capital, Jakarta, are grappling with serious respiratory ailments as a result of intensifying air contamination, the nation's environment minister revealed.

Speaking on Wednesday, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that atmospheric conditions in some zones of Jakarta have reached perilous thresholds, as reported by an online platform.

He emphasized that pollution in the city’s northern regions has surged to alarming levels by noon, with up-to-the-minute figures from platforms like IQAir and official air monitoring systems confirming the alarming state of the atmosphere.

“The main sources of Jakarta’s air pollution are industrial emissions and container trucks,” Hanif said.

He disclosed that nearly 6,800 factory chimneys are officially documented across Jakarta’s metropolitan zones, though the actual total could be considerably greater due to unauthorized industrial operations.

“We’ve begun cracking down on open burning activities, especially in metallurgy and ore smelting industries,” he said.

Hanif also stressed that the consequences for public health are already dire.

Initial data suggest that over six million individuals in Jakarta are now experiencing respiratory issues, including severe infections that could worsen pre-existing health problems.

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