Jakarta has been blanketed in smog that has made its air quality the worst in the world as the government resorts to a slew of disorganized measures to clear the pollution.
The air quality in Indonesia’s capital has been at unhealthy levels for the past few weeks before worsening again on Friday, when the concentration of fine particulate matter reached 19 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, according to IQAir.
Jakartans responded in outrage over social media after an official at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry said the fastest way to resolve the problem is by praying for rain. The ministry has since stopped the operations of four companies for pollution.
The city has told civil servants to work from home, sprayed the streets with water and will start fining vehicles that exceed emission standards. The government is considering a pollution tax, while a minister urged residents to wear a mask when traveling outdoors.
Jakarta has just one week to clean up the air before it is set to host world leaders convening at the Asean Summit in early September.
