Article written by: Kaoem Telapak
on May 4, 2026
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Breaking the Ocean Waste Cycle: Hari Yanto and Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung in Action!

Piles of trash clogging the river flow are certainly a disturbing sight for anyone, and Hari Yanto is no exception. However, instead of stopping at merely feeling concerned, the man from East Java, also known as Harkuk, chose to turn his concern into real action. From Bogor, he took to the field directly, driving a long and winding grassroots movement to save the river ecosystem.

Harkuk’s involvement began in 2004 when he received a mandate from the Kaoem Telapak organization. At that time, he was challenged to guard and voice the Ciliwung River conservation campaign. As time went on and the intensity of seeing the river’s condition firsthand grew, the formal task slowly melted away and grew into a calling. Armed with genuine care and a selfless spirit, Harkuk finally initiated the formation of Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung (KPC) in 2008. Through this volunteer platform, he successfully wove real action from communities along the river flow, stretching from its upstream in Puncak, Bogor, to its mouth on the coast of Jakarta. “I was committed, I didn’t care if there was money or not. I just kept going,” he recalled about the early days of the movement.

Fighting the Coils of the “Ciliwung Anaconda”

The struggle to care for this environmental lifeline is not without its obstacles. While other activists might deal with bureaucracy, Harkuk and the KPC volunteers had to face head-on what they call the “Ciliwung Anaconda”.

This is not a wild beast, but a tangible manifestation of an extreme ecological crisis. The “Ciliwung Anaconda” is a giant roll of plastic waste tossed around by the current until it coils tightly on the riverbed and banks of the Ciliwung. These trash coils are so thick and hard that sharp knives or machetes are no longer effective in cutting them.

“The trash that gathers due to the river current coils up to be very long. Once it’s coiled like that, it’s just hard to cut. Even using a knife doesn’t work. We had to use the old-fashioned way, rock against rock, pounding it,” Harkuk shared, describing the harsh evacuation process in the field. This anaconda is proof that land waste left to pile up in rivers will create an ecological disaster that is difficult for humans to handle.

Grassroots Action and Policy Advocacy

Harkuk realized that picking up trash one by one would not solve the root of the problem. Therefore, the KPC movement was designed in an integrated manner through four main pillars of action: trash collection, seedling nurseries from tree seeds falling on the riverbanks, replanting, and routine river patrols.

Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung in Action. (Doc: Kaoem Telapak)

This movement refuses to merely be “cleaners”. In the realm of advocacy, Harkuk and KPC persistently pressure the local government to take full responsibility for waste management. He pushes for the creation of real policies, such as the formation of a river cleaning task force that is paid decently, so the government no longer shifts responsibility under the pretext of “floods and downstream waste”.

KPC’s advocacy strategy also often has to nudge rigid bureaucracy in unique ways. “Back then, we complained to the Sanitation Agency. They said, ‘If the trash is on land, we will transport it, but if it’s in the river, it’s not us.’ So, we took it from the river, put it on land, so they would transport it,” he recounted.

To build public awareness, Harkuk also utilizes relentless campaign tactics, from spreading routine educational messages via SMS blasts in the 2000s, to holding cleanliness competitions among the neighborhoods passed by the Ciliwung.

Grand Vision: From Upstream to the Open Sea

Now, Harkuk’s dedication continues to expand. He spread the wings of his movement to the Cisadane River and began echoing the Marine Debris campaign. He believes in a simple philosophy: the health of the ocean heavily depends on what happens upstream in the river.

“Now, whatever happens in the sea comes from upstream. Through river flows and also drifting from the streets, it eventually piles up in the sea. Even though we still need protein from marine animals,” he explained. Letting trash sit on land is the same as passing down toxic microplastics to the ocean.

To ensure his movement is sustainable, Harkuk focuses not only on ecology but also on the local economy (livelihood). He promotes schemes that marry welfare and nature conservation, one of which is by integrating coastal fishery pond management with mangrove tree planting to prevent erosion.

For Harkuk, maintaining the sustainability of forests, rivers, and oceans is no longer just a work program, but a manifestation of spiritual responsibility. He views that every religious teaching essentially places humans as guardians of the earth, where negligence in caring for nature is the same as destroying the harmony of God’s creation. “Saving the earth means saving the society too. Conservation rules established either by religion or the government, are all part of worship,” he asserted. In other words, picking up trash from the river or planting mangroves on the coast is a tangible manifestation of grounded faith. Through Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung, he proves that worship and great change can always start from the small steps of volunteers who refuse to stay silent.