PALEMBANG GETS GERMAN ASSISTANCE TO OVERCOME POLLUTION

Jakarta Forum - Palembang, S Sumatra, The Palembang city administration this year will get a technical assistance for mapping and for dealing with air and environmental pollution from the German government.

The assistance is based on a selection of 20 cities in Indonesia last year, and Palembang and Solo had been selected, Ahmad Safrudin, of the Leaded Gasoline Eradication Committee (KPBB) said in Palembang Wednesday.

Ahmad Safrudin who is also of an air pollution controlling non-governmental organization when accompanying a team of the German government technical assistance cooperation agency at a meeting with Palembang mayor Eddy Santana Purta said that the assistance is given as Palembang has a very high level of air and environmental pollution.

He said the selection of Palembang and Solo by the German government because their mayors had been very active in overcoming the air and environmental pollution over the two cities.

Based on an observation and reports from many quarters in Palembang since Monday, a team of the german government development technical assistance cooperation agency (CTZ), chaired by Roland came to a conclusion that air and environmental pollution in Palembang had reached 40 micrograms/cubic meter.

The pollution is still below the national standard of 60 micrograms/cubic meter, but referring to the WHO standard of 20 micrograms/cubic meter, the pollution is caused for real concern, he said.

Therefore, the Palembang mayor who declared the Kambang Iwak area as free of motor vehicles since the past year, needs to be hailed as a positive measure to reduce air and environmental pollution there.

Source: Antara News