"It is recorded that there are around 360 (companies). We must stop their activities if they do not comply with the principles of propriety regarding pollutants emitted," Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq told the press after a river cleanup activity in Jakarta on Friday.
He revealed that as an initial step, law enforcement officials of the Ministry of Environment will conduct an inspection of compliance.
Non-compliant companies will initially face administrative sanctions from the ministry as a preliminary warning, and if violations persist, more severe enforcement measures will be implemented.
Firm steps will be taken as coal combustion operations generate almost 14-16 percent of Jakarta's air pollutants, alongside the ongoing issue of open waste burning.
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Nurofiq affirmed that his ministry has pledged swift intervention against entities continuing unauthorized waste-burning practices, particularly targeting operators of unlicensed waste disposal sites, which account for 14 percent of pollution in the surrounding areas.
"I will take legal action against them because there have been enough warnings. It has been years. There are almost 60 locations that we have identified," the minister stressed.
Nurofiq ensured having readied investigators to take the necessary legal action to reduce air pollution in Jakarta, considering the threat of the negative impact on the economy and health that it poses on the community.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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