Shocking, isn’t it? That very city we all have seen bustling with life has now earned the horrendous title as the world’s most polluted city! Jakarta, home to over 10 million souls, stands as a symbol of a global crisis, experiencing life-threatening pollution levels every single day. Swiss air quality tech giant IQAir has put it on the map, but not for reasons to be proud of.
Rizky Putra, a concerned father, expressed his distress with a grave face, “My children are suffering. It’s beyond alarming now!” The health of Jakarta’s children seems to be at a direct threat, with symptoms such as coughs and colds becoming as common as the polluted air itself.
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What’s behind this nightmare? The chronic traffic, the unrelenting industrial smoke, the coal-fired power plants emitting toxins – all have been choking Jakarta’s air for years. Residents have cried out in frustration and despair, winning a civil lawsuit in 2021 that demanded the government’s intervention. Even the courts ruled in favor of human health, compelling President Joko Widodo and other officials to tighten air quality standards.
But has anything changed? Not quite, according to Nathan Roestandy, co-founder of Nafas Indonesia. “The situation has deteriorated,” he warns. More than 20,000 breaths a day, filled with polluted air, have become a dreadful reality that could lead to “respiratory diseases, even asthma, cognitive and mental health issues.”
President Widodo, however, announced a solution that left many surprised: relocating the capital to Nusantara on Borneo island. A fresh start? Or a desperate escape? Time will tell.
While the new capital is being built, and thousands are preparing to move, the question remains: What about Jakarta’s inhabitants left behind in the haze of pollution? Is it fair to abandon them?
This shocking development must be a wake-up call, not just for Jakarta but for the world. The government must act, and we must respond.
Source: The Star
