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Residents help clean up Monas
Hundreds of people who visited the National Monument (Monas) on Thursday voluntarily collected trash from the monumentâs square during Fun Cleaning Day, which was held as part of the heritage site cleanup agenda that will run until May 18
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undreds of people who visited the National Monument (Monas) on Thursday voluntarily collected trash from the monument's square during Fun Cleaning Day, which was held as part of the heritage site cleanup agenda that will run until May 18.
German-based cleaning equipment and technology provider PT Kärcher, which inked a deal with the Jakarta administration on April 2, has been cleaning the monument since last week as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
Those attending the cleaning day were mostly members of urban volunteer communities, taking the initiative to call on all visitors to help clean up sites of national heritage.
Accompanied by 30 cleaning staff from Monas, some volunteers busied themselves sweeping the grounds, while others walked around to find garbage and pick it up.
Out of six urban communities participating in the event, Bersih Nyok brought around 100 volunteers, Operasi Semut brought 25 volunteers and Jelajah Budaya around 50 volunteers.
'Cleaning up Monas is not a new activity for us because we have actively participated in cleaning various cultural heritage sites in the city since 2003,' said Jelajah Budaya volunteer community leader Wagiman.
Upon opening the cleaning day, Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency head Arie Budhiman said that residents visiting Monas were expected to have an increased awareness of the importance of taking care of Monas as a result of the cleanup.
'Monas is our pride. I hope people will commit to maintaining its cleanliness,' Arie said.
Kärcher's senior manager of marketing and business development, Fransisca Natalia, said that the cleanup had reached 95 percent completion.
'We have yet to clean up the monument's small parts, which are the top bowl-like part, known locally as the cawan atas, and the floor of the bottom bowl-like part [cawan bawah],' Fransisca said, adding that the work would be finished on schedule.
Fransisca said that the task of cleaning the 117-meter obelisk, the dirtiest part of the monument, has been completed by three German staff members.
Monas management unit head Rini Hariyani said that the city administration had yet to set an agenda for the monument's maintenance after Kärcher finished its work. (alz)
