Pandawara Group: Youths Will Clean the "4th Dirtiest Beach in Indonesia", But Local Gov't Is Offended

However, much to their surprise, the video attracted not only supportive comments but also vocal criticism from Deris Alfauzi, the head of the Simpenan District Youth Organization. He expressed his dismay, citing a lack of prior coordination or communication with local residents or authorities.

"It's truly regrettable because there was no prior communication, and, in addition, there's a statement in there claiming that Cibutun Beach is the fourth most dirtiest beach in Indonesia," lamented Deris Alfauzi on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

Moreover, he voiced objections to the installation of signs bearing the controversial message in the beach area, which is viral on social media.

The local gov't then gathered the help of local groups to investigate the matter.

"The National Youth Committee (KNPI), Youth Organization (Karang Taruna), along with the coordinators of local community organizations (OKP), are diligently investigating the veracity of the video. We aim to address this matter swiftly, given that the video has gone viral. We earnestly hope for clarification from the creators of this content," he added.

He further revealed that, if the group of young people failed to provide a clarification soon, legal action against the viral video would be considered, with reports filed with law enforcement.

"We will issue a legal notice regarding the viral video, and if there is no clarification within 48 hours, we will file a report. Creating content without confirmation and lacking knowledge of the facts is a serious concern," he emphasized.

In response to this unfolding situation, Ade Suryaman, the Secretary of Sukabumi Regency, announced the outcome of a coordination meeting, and now they have resolved to conduct a comprehensive beach cleanup at Cibutun Loji from October 4 to October 7, 2023.

Ade underscored that this initiative was not an instant event and that all stakeholders would actively participate in the endeavor to restore the beach's cleanliness.

"Insyahallah, the cleanup operation will take place from October 4 to October 7. We hope for a smooth execution. Although it has become a topic of discussion on social media, it is our duty. Additionally, there is also a military event on October 5, so, God willing, it will commence on October 4," articulated Ade Suryaman on Monday, October 2, 2023.

He also raised concerns about the criteria used to label the beach as the '4th most polluted,' highlighting that established rankings, such as 1st or 3rd place, typically have well-defined assessment standards. In this case, however, the standards remain undefined.

"We don't understand this. Being labeled the 4th most polluted implies that there should be set standards. When we earn 1st or 3rd place, there are usually clear criteria. How was this determination made? We're also seeking clarification on that," he remarked.

Concerning the designation of Cibutun Beach as the fourth most polluted beach in Indonesia by the Pandawara Group, Ade made it clear that this would not impact the status of the Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu UNESCO Global Geopark (CPUGG) in Sukabumi Regency.

"We are committed to upholding the cleanliness of Sukabumi Regency, especially since we will be hosting the Summit in 2024. Furthermore, we have already implemented the Wistara Healthy Regency/City program. Hence, we will cleanse the beach," he elucidated.

Meanwhile, the Sukabumi Regency Environmental Agency (DLH) evaluated the trash accumulation on Cibutun Loji Beach in Simpenan District. They emphasized that heavy machinery may be required for the cleanup due to the trash being buried in the sand.

Endang Suherman, Sub-Coordinator of Waste Transport in DLH Sukabumi Regency, voiced the likelihood of heavy machinery being indispensable to displace the buried trash, as manually extracting it from the sand would pose a considerable challenge.

"I believe that heavy machinery is necessary to shift the buried trash since manually collecting trash buried in the sand would be quite difficult," explained Endang Suherman.

He affirmed their commitment to actively contribute to the cleanup efforts. Their strategy involves gathering non-organic waste types such as plastic and fabric, to recycle or dispose of them following prescribed procedures. Organic waste is likely to be separated for appropriate disposal.

However, one of the hurdles they face in the cleanup is the limited accessibility of waste transport vehicles. Consequently, the collected trash must be transported to a location accessible to DLH garbage trucks.

"Access to the cleanup area is somewhat challenging for waste transport, which may pose a challenge during the cleanup. As a result, the cleaned trash will need to be transported to the roadside," he added.

Furthermore, this cleanup endeavor necessitates substantial collaboration and active participation from numerous individuals, given the substantial volume of trash to be transported. Hence, meticulous planning is imperative to ensure the successful and seamless execution of this beach cleanup.

"It indeed requires the involvement of a considerable number of people since trash collection will be organized in the relay. With a limited number of participants, it may prove somewhat challenging. Therefore, this aspect requires further consideration," he concluded.