We may have had to celebrate the Eid holiday away from our loved ones this year, but one silver lining that came from being stuck at home during Lebaran was that we were blessed with beautiful clear blue skies and relatively clean air in the capital.
According to Jakarta’s Environment Agency, Lebaran this year saw significant decreases in air pollutants. Compared to last year, the agency recorded a 28 percent drop in PM2.5 particles, a 23 percent drop in PM10 particles, 8 percent drop in carbon monoxide, 13 percent drop in nitrogen dioxide, 4 percent drop in sulfur dioxide, and a 41 percent drop in ozone.
“We concluded that air quality during 2020 Lebaran was the best compared to any Lebaran in five years,” agency head Andono Warih said in a statement.
Andono noted that air quality has significantly improved while the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) partial lockdown protocol has been in place during the pandemic. Fewer commuters, which resulted from the majority of Jakartans being instructed to work from home, is among the biggest factors that led to cleaner air.
However, it’s still quite notable that this year’s Lebaran had the best air quality in years. The Eid holiday of years past regularly saw millions of people from the Greater Jakarta Area take part in the mudik homecoming exodus, leaving the capital practically empty for over a week, and, therefore, with much fewer humans to pollute the air.
Though there were undoubtedly violations, this year saw the majority of Muslims celebrate Eid from the confines of their homes, as instructed by the government and leading religious authorities.
