Jakarta. The Jakarta Police have taken decisive action in the fight against air pollution by establishing a dedicated task force responsible for inspecting factories in the city and surrounding areas.

The Task Force of Air Pollution Mitigation, led by Chief Comr. Nurcholis, has initiated factory inspections, focusing on identifying and addressing sources of air pollution. The team's efforts have begun with visits to four factories in the nearby city of Tangerang.

During these inspections, it was discovered that two out of the four factories visited employ coal burners in their production processes. 

"Yesterday we inspected four factories but due to our tight schedule we only conducted checks [on pollutant samples] from two factories," Nurcholis told reporters at his office.

However, one aspect that remains unclear is the criteria used to determine which factories are subject to unannounced police inspections. 

Nurcholis acknowledged a limitation in the Jakarta Police's resources. Specifically, they do not possess pollutant detection devices. To overcome this challenge, the police are collaborating with the Environment and Forestry Ministry to conduct tests on pollutant samples obtained from factory chimneys.

While there are currently no laws explicitly banning factories from using coal, the task force was established in response to instructions from the National Police chief following reports of worsening air quality in the capital city.

Nurcholis stressed the need for concrete measures to mitigate air pollution in Jakarta and to identify its primary causes. This implies that the task force's mission is not only to conduct inspections but also to track down and address the major contributors to air pollution within the city, he said.

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