VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry will form a task force for controlling and supervising the worsening air pollution in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek).

The ministry's secretary general, Bambang Hendroyono, stated that the plan to form the task force was made after Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar held a meeting with the ranks of the ministry to formulate air pollution control measures.

"As one of our real actions, the minister will form a task force at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry called the Task Force for Control and Supervision of Air Pollution in the Jabodetabek Area," he told the press at the office of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry here on Thursday.

According to him, one of the activities of the task force will be carrying out inspections in the Jabodetabek area, which is indicated to have contributed to air pollution, so that the air quality can be improved.

The ministry's director general of pollution and environmental degradation control, Sigit Reliantoro, said that the formation of the task force is also in accordance with President Joko Widodo's directive to monitor power plants that use fossil fuels and steam power plants. (PLTU).

"We have identified several power plants at which we will carry out monitoring and evaluation. This includes monitoring and evaluation regarding stockpiles at ports," he informed.

Meanwhile, the ministry's director general of environmental and forestry law enforcement, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that his side will take action to control pollution arising from the activities of PLTUs and fossil fuels as well as open burning areas.

He informed that his side has identified the locations and sources of air pollution, both power plants as well as areas where open burning is suspected to occur frequently.

Open burning refers to the extensive burning of waste that causes emissions and industrial activities that do not manage emissions properly.

The ministry's task force will also prepare several sanctions, ranging from those that are administrative in nature for corrective purposes to taking action based on civil and criminal law. (Antaranews)