JAKARTA (Sept 17): The Central Jakarta district court has ordered President Joko Widodo and his administration to strengthen regulations and supervision as well as enforcement in resolving issues related to poor air quality in the capital city, reported CNA on Sept 16.

The report, citing the landmark ruling, said the President, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the governors of Jakarta and its two neighbouring provinces, Banten and West Java had violated the law by allowing Jakarta’s air quality to deteriorate.

Judge Saifudin Zuhri, who was among those who presided over the case, said in the verdict that the defendants had “committed unlawful acts”. 

All seven were defendants in a lawsuit lodged by a number of Jakarta citizens who demanded that the government at both the national and city level tighten regulations on air quality standards, which they had seen as too lenient. They were also pushing for better supervision and sanctions for offenders. 

Meanwhile, the three ministers were told to work out resolutions to improve Jakarta’s air quality and curb the pollution.

“The air quality in Jakarta has exceeded the acceptable standards, posing a risk to the plaintiffs’ health, which could even lead to their early deaths. The defendants had been aware of this fact for many years but had not taken significant steps to ensure that the standards were met,” Duta Baskara, another judge, said in the ruling.

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