"I admit that this activity, although it lasted only about 45 minutes, was quite difficult. There was quite a lot of organic and inorganic waste," said Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono.
He added that the activity has been routinely carried out by the ministry since 1989.
The activity involved hundreds of people from several environmental communities. In addition to cleaning the river, they also planted trees along the riverbank.
Hendropriyono said that rivers are a source of life for humans. Therefore, all members of society must work together to support river cleanliness.
He said he realizes that river cleaning activities cannot resolve the problem permanently.
He added that the problem of waste in the river can be solved by preventing people from littering.
"With community support in this action, we also hope that people will participate and stop throwing trash that can pollute our rivers," he said.
Additionally, the ministry has imposed sanctions on individuals who dispose of waste that harms the environment. Efforts have also included monitoring and shutting down illegal waste dumps.
"So, with these steps, I think the minister has worked quickly and worked hard to stop the pile of garbage from polluting our rivers," Hendropriyono said.
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Translator: Shabrina Zakaria, Katriana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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