TEMPO.CO, Malang - Abandoned piles of garbage remains the biggest problem that managers and rangers of Indonesia's national parks still have to face in their operations.
According to surveys carried out across eight national parks and seven mountain ranges by Komunitas Sapu Gunung, along with the Ministry for Forestry and the Environment between April 11 and 24, 2016, at least 453 tonnes of plastic waste and garbage are left behind across national parks and national reserves in Indonesia - the majority of which are piled, planted in shallow dumps, or simply left strewn near campsites used by holiday-makers.
The Director General for Waste and Hazardous Material Management for the Ministry for Forestry and the Environment, Tuti Hendrawari Mintarsih, said that out of the 453 tonnes of waste found by the survey, plastic waste dominates by a far majority - comprising of 53 percent or 250 tonnes of the total waste found - a worrying fact because plastic does not easily bio-degrade and could permanently pollute the ecosystem of Indonesia's national parks and reserves.
"This problem needs to be address because this has the potential to destroy Indonesia's national parks reputation as places for recreation," said Tuti on Friday, April 29, 2016. "Our national parks need to be clear and clean from garbage, because it otherwise it will undermine our effort to preserve our unique flora and fauna."
Tuti's statement was released ahead of the voluntary clean-up efforts by Komunitas Sapu Gunung at the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park (TNBTS), which will begin on April 30, 2016. Along with members if the community, TNBTS officials and staff will also aid in the efforts to clear the Semeru hiking trail from rubbish - starting from Ranupani registration post all the way to the Ranukumbolo Post.
Ranukumbolo Post is the fourth out of the total of 10 posts that exists on the Semeru Hiking trail. The post, which lies at an elevation of 2,390 metres above sea level, Ranukumbolo is the most favoured resting spot among hikers - beating Kalimati and Arcapodo. The distance between Ranupani and Ranukumbolo is approximately 10 kilometres, which can be hiked through in 3 hours.
ABDI PURNOMO
