Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) continues to assist local governments in intensifying pollution control efforts to improve the air quality.

The ministry's Director General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control Sigit Reliantoro said support for local governments had included the Blue Sky Program trial in 514 districts and cities in 2022.

Reliantoro noted in Jakarta on Friday that the ministry had assisted local governments to evaluate and improve efforts to control air pollution and improve the air quality.

"The evaluation results are translated into the Regional Performance Response Index in the Blue Sky Program. The goal is to encourage local governments to make efforts to improve air quality in their regions," he remarked.

Reliantoro remarked that the Blue Sky Program indicators comprised policies and regulations on air pollution control that include the achievement target of the Air Quality Index.

In addition, district and city governments need to ensure the availability of employees and the allocation of funds in the Regional Budget (APBD) for pollution control and air quality improvement.

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Regional governments should also implement programs to improve the Air Quality Index, including monitoring of the ambient air quality and the application of quality standards for vehicle gas emissions, with funding from the APBD.

Local governments should involve other stakeholders in the efforts to control air pollution and publish efforts and innovations to control air pollution and the results of air quality monitoring, he remarked.

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Translator: Prisca T Violetta, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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