Universitas Pasundan Bandung declared its preparation to develop the area of Sector 21 Posko Citarum Harum, North Cimahi, as an Educational Forest. About 5 hectares of land located in Kampung Cimenteng, Kelurahan Cipageran, Kecamatan North Cimahi, Cimahi, will be developed by UNPAS and other universities to be the Area of City Forest and Self-employed Forest.
“There are three programs set by Unpas, namely to develop the area to be Educational Forest, City Forest and Self-employed Forest,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. H. Eddy Jusup Sp, M.Si., M.Kom, on Monday, June 29th, 2020, when attending in the Panel Discussion entitled “New Normal: Jaga Alam dan Lingkungan Tetap Lestari” in Sector 21 Posko Citarum Harum, Cipageran, North Cimahi.
The Rector himself attended the discussion along with Kasdam Siliwangi Brigadier General Kunto Arief Wibowo, S.I.P., Task-Force Commander of Sector 21 Citarum Harum Colonel Infantry Yusef Sudrajat, Cimahi Head of Environmental Services, Vice Rector I of Unjani, as well as Dr. Eki Baehaki of Duasatu Kehati Foundation.
Prof. Eddy also said that Unpas Team has already been running the program of Education Forest since 2014 in the upstream of Citarum, precisely in Desa Cibeureum, Kecamatan Kertasari, Kabupaten Bandung, in collaboration with the Non-Government Organization of Wahana Raksa Citarum. In that area, Unpas has already built a Training Village (lit. Desa Binaan) and planted approximately 32.000 avocado seeds. These seeds which are going to be a Shade Tree (lit. pohon pelindung) were collected by Unpas freshmen students.
“The students are about 4.500 to 5.000 each year. They are required to bring 5 avocado seeds to be sown in that area where its land contour is similar to the area in Cipageran. The land is fertile and planted by most vegetables, so that when it comes to rain, it often causes erosion and leads to a sedimentation in Citarum River,” said the Rector. By this fact, most of the victims are residents of Andir District, Cilampeni and Rancamanyar Village who live around the river.
The success of the Sector I would also be followed up by Unpas in Sector 21 Posts which are now named Hutan Kehati. Several times earlier, the land owned by Cimahi Government was planted with plant seeds by Siliwangi soldier along with the residents and Task Force Citarum Harum. Cimahi Government has also already built various facilitites in the area.
Prof. Eddy also explained that Unpas would determine to maximize its participation in the Citarum Harum program and restore Citarum’s “glory” as the source of human civilization. He cited Sundanese philosophy, “Kacai jadi saleuwi, kadarat jadi selebak” which means that the water had to be a lake, while the land had to be a wide area. It also means that there should be a collaboration between them. He said that about 378 universities in West Java have already had their training area in each Sector in Citarum Harum.
The Rector also cited the old proverb, “Tan Hana Nuni Tan Hana Mangke” which means that there are no present if there are no past. ”It is closely related to the environment which can also be implemented to the program of Citarum Harum which was previously delayed due to Covid-19 Pandemic,” he said.
He reminded that since 2007, Citarum was declared as a river that contains high pollutants in the world. “Unpas is also called to return Citarum to its former glory by planting shade trees in the forest area of the Sector 21 Post,” he continued.***
