Volcanic ash closes schools online as Jakarta offices largely stay open

The roads in South Jakarta were unusually quiet on a Monday, but Jakarta’s commuter trains remained as crowded as ever. As volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau spread across the capital, schools moved online while many office workers continued going to work.

Yacintha Maria, a 31-year-old office worker, said her motorbike-taxi journey took 20 minutes instead of its usual 30 or more. She arrived early despite leaving her boarding house late. “For a Monday, the roads were quiet,” she said, suggesting that some people may have been working from home or keeping children home for remote lessons.

“

For a Monday, the roads were quiet.

The commuter trains offered a different picture. Passengers wore more standard masks than usual, but few had the N95 masks recommended for volcanic ash, which is more abrasive than Jakarta’s normal air pollution. Finding those masks had already proved difficult over the weekend. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare on Sunday, and pharmacies in shopping malls had only limited supplies by Monday.

A series of eruptions at Anak Krakatau since Sept 4 has spread ash more than 150 km, covering Jakarta and nearby areas. The disruption has revived comparisons with the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption, when Jakarta was known as Batavia.

The Home Affairs Ministry approved remote work for civil servants in Jakarta and in cities closer to Anak Krakatau, including Serang and Bandar Lampung. Some private employers followed. Yacintha’s company did not. After telling staff on Sept 6 that it was monitoring the situation and warning them not to believe hoaxes, the company instructed them to report to work as normal.

“

We won’t be allowed to work from home unless it’s really bad.

“We won’t be allowed to work from home unless it’s really bad,” Yacintha said. Her company had also required normal attendance during protests in late August. She came to work with long sleeves, closed shoes and glasses instead of contact lenses. “I can’t afford to get sick right now,” she said.

Lola Loveita, who works for an organisation that already permits remote work on Mondays and Thursdays, faced a different problem: arranging care for her seven-year-old son, Banyu. His private school changed its plans repeatedly over the weekend before leaving the final decision to parents shortly before Monday classes.

“

I can’t afford to get sick right now.