Surabaya Mayor Underscores Need for Students to Care About Environment

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) - Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini has emphasized the need for students to care about environmental conservation through the creation of eco schools. Compared to previous years, Surabaya is now relatively free from flooding despite rapid development growth, she said during the opening of Surabaya Eco School 2014 at the Surabaya state vocational school (SMK) 6 on Tuesday. "How could this happen? This is because we have been able to manage the environment. The importance of eco schools is to make children care about the conservation of environment," she noted. "We must set an example by starting it ourselves before asking others to follow suit," she remarked. Since the Surabaya eco school was launched in 2013, many schools in the city, ranging from elementary school to senior high school, had been given eco school status, she said. This time the Surabaya city administration, along with the Tunas Hijau (Green Bud) foundation and PT Pembangkitan Jawa-Bali, a subsidiary of state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), has launched a second round of Surabaya Eco School themed "Surabaya is water conservation city." Conserving water is difficult than improving air quality because water conservation covers many factors, including planting trees and managing trash, she explained. "Admittedly, it is more difficult. But if conservation becomes part of our culture, it will appear to be easy. This is a noble task. Therefore, we invite our children to actively participate in this activity," she added. (*) Reported by Abdul Hakim