Students from the ITB Management Student Family, along with other social groups, participated in the River Cleanup Day activity on the Cikakak River in Bandung (February 14th). Coinciding with Valentine’s Day, this activity brought together volunteers equipped with boots and gloves to remove trash from the river.
This activity is part of RiverCleanup Indonesia’s initiative. Since 2019, the organization has been regularly conducting river cleanups in Bandung, focusing on areas contaminated by inorganic domestic solid waste. To date, RiverCleanup Indonesia has organized 556 activities involving 23,173 volunteers, successfully removing a total of 502,165 kilograms of trash from the rivers of Bandung.
During the activity on the Cikakak River, volunteers received guidance from Kang Lana, a representative of RiverCleanup Indonesia, on the importance of environmental awareness and the waste segregation initiative. After the briefing, participants cleaned up and sorted trash in the Lio Genteng area, which had previously been littered with waste. This effort was further enhanced by the involvement of local communities, who provided entertainment and food for the volunteers.
Zahran, an ITB Management student, said the activity provided firsthand experience of river conditions.
“The activity was truly memorable. Being able to go directly and see the conditions made us truly aware of the urgency of this problem,” he said.
Other students from the Community Service division of the ITB Management Student Family, Faiz, Aya, and Faros, said the activity gave them a new understanding of the importance of environmental protection.
“We came with the expectation of simply cleaning the river, but we left with a much deeper sense of belonging to nature. We hope that what we did today can have a positive impact in the future,” they said.
At the end of the activity, the cleanup results were showcased on an impact board. A total of 980.38 kilograms of trash was removed from the Cikakak River during this event. This initiative is intended to raise awareness and promote greater concern for waste management and environmental sustainability.
Written by Student Reporter (Nurlisa Putri Azizah, Management 2027)
