Coal power, traffic, waste burning a toxic smog cocktail in Indonesia’s Jakarta

By EDNA TARIGAN and FADLAN SYAM
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pollution is causing respiratory illnesses and deaths to rise in Indonesia’s island of Java, including the capital, Jakarta. Data gathered by IQAir, a Swiss air technology company, regularly ranks Jakarta as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Blue skies are a rare sight and the air often smells like fuel or heavy smoke. Normally healthy residents complain of itchy eyes and sore throats on days when pollution levels soar past levels considered safe by the World Health Organization and Indonesian government. Smog in the metropolis of 11.2 million people comes from a combination of the coal-fired plants, vehicle and motorcycle exhaust, trash burning and industries. Many in the city are demanding government action.