PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in waste management, especially in urban areas.

This was conveyed while attending a cleaning activity in Astana Anyar District, which is part of the River Clean Up Indonesia initiative with various parties.

"We need to enter a new paradigm: today's trash is our responsibility today," said Farhan, Saturday (19/4/2025).

He highlighted that old mindsets such as “throwing rubbish in its place” are no longer enough, because in reality a lot of rubbish still ends up in rivers.

This activity involves collaboration from various elements of society, starting from campuses such as Polman, communities, LPM, Karang Taruna, to village and sub-district officials.

Farhan said that this effort is a real manifestation of collective work in protecting the environment.

"Every day we produce trash and it will not disappear by itself. So we ourselves have to clean it up," he said.

He also appreciated the active involvement of the community and institutions in this effort.

Farhan also revealed the medium-term target that the Bandung City Government is currently pursuing, namely encouraging seven sub-districts in Astanaanyar to independently manage waste in their respective areas.

If all RW can do it, he is optimistic that Bandung can reduce the burden of 500 tons of waste per day.

On the same occasion, Country Lead River Clean Up Indonesia, Egar Anugrah explained that this activity has been carried out routinely since 2021.

In Bandung City, River Clean Up activities are held every month, targeting river and residential areas.

"It's not just about cleaning, but also education and long-term collaboration. We want residents to understand the root of the problem and be involved in the solution," Egar said.

River Clean Up is developing innovations with Polman in the form of river cleaning tools and optical internet-based monitoring systems. This technology is intended to support disaster response and real-time mapping of river conditions.

In addition, an educational approach is also being implemented, currently in three sub-districts: Panjunan, Nyengeret, and Situ Saeur, with a focus on three main rivers: Cikakak, Citepus, and Ciroyom.

"The best solution is not just cleaning the river, but changing the mindset of the community. That is the main goal of this movement," said Egar. (Bandung City Communication and Information Service/rka)