Jakarta reports improved air quality after two-day weather operations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said a two-day weather modification operation had helped reduce air pollution levels in the Indonesian capital.

“We saw that the operation successfully reduced pollution, and the public is much happier. This morning, in particular, those who followed the Jakarta Running Festival were in high spirits because the air was truly refreshing,” Pramono told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday.

Pramono said weather conditions and air quality had long posed challenges for organizers of major outdoor events. However, he said, the operation targeted rain clouds along Jakarta’s borders, helping improve conditions in the capital.

He cited his experience flagging off the full marathon at the Jakarta Running Festival (JRF) that morning, saying the city’s air quality index recorded relatively low levels of pollution.

“I flagged off the full marathon at 4 a.m. The index was at 61, then 68, and by midday, it was 80. This shows that Jakarta’s air pollution has been really low over these two days,” he said.

Pramono added that the weather modification operation had been carefully coordinated to avoid disrupting other major public events, including a concert by Kanye West, also known as Ye, at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium on Saturday (October 24).

He said rain had been directed toward several areas of Jakarta while the GBK complex was kept dry for the concert.

Pramono reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to continuing weather modification operations as long as budget allocations and suitable cloud conditions allowed.

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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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