Indonesian court rules president negligent over capital city pollution

Clean air activists want more robust supervision and sanction of offenders (Dita Alangkara/AP)

An Indonesian court has ruled that President Joko Widodo and six other top officials have neglected citizens’ rights to clean air and ordered them to improve the poor air quality in the capital.

A three-judge panel at the Central Jakarta District Court came down on the side of 32 residents who filed a lawsuit two years ago against Mr Widodo and the ministers for environment, health and home affairs, as well as the provincial governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java.