Prabowo on Monday had highlighted the role of local governments, which have authority over schools, suggesting that students could be involved in beach clean–up activities.
“High school, junior high school and elementary school students are under your authority. What is so difficult about gathering all the students at the beach on either Saturday or Friday?” he asked, as quoted by local news outlet Tempo.
“This is our beach, let’s clean it together.”
He added that he would not hesitate to deploy military and police personnel to assist with clean-up efforts if local governments are unable to act swiftly.
“If the regents and governors can’t do it, I will order the district military commander, the regional military commander to mobilise their troops, every day or for several days,” he said.
As a step further, Prabowo added that he had devised a clean-up plan – which he dubbed the ASRI Indonesia Movement – that would see leaders within ministries, agencies, state-owned enterprises, and regional governments conducting waste collection operations for at least half an hour before working hours.
Prabowo stressed that the policy will serve as a specialised programme within his administration.
Koster in April had said that the island generates around 3,500 tons of waste per day, with approximately 17 per cent consisting of plastic, while landfill capacity in several areas is nearing its maximum limit, reported Kompas.
“We have to declare a war on waste,” Prabowo said.
“This is for our people, waste is a disaster, waste is a disease, we will act.”
Following Prabowo’s directive, Koster said that he will form a special task force to monitor beach areas and other tourist sites in Bali.
The task force will involve the Environmental Agency, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, Education Office as well as the military and police.
He added that students may also be involved in beach clean-up efforts, as earlier suggested by Prabowo.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-bali-prabowo-subianto-waste-management-tourism-5903311
