BTS Army Project Coral Reef Transplant At Pandana Beach, North Lombok

MATARAM - The BTS Army Project (BAP), one of the base Army (as BTS fans) took action to care for the environment in the form of transplanting coral reefs at the Pandanan Beach Marine Park tourist destination, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Hardyanti Mulyani Hastuti, the person in charge of the activity, explained that coral reef ecosystems are important habitats for marine life that need to be protected and conserved together.

Coral reefs, apart from being a place to live for fish and other sea creatures, also function to hold back and slow down the waves that come to the coast.

This, he said, is useful for preventing coastal erosion and reducing the impact in the event of a large wave such as a tsunami.

"Departing from this, we BTS fans in Lombok, together with the Pandanan Monitoring Community Group (Pokmaswas) carried out a transplant as a form of coral reef rehabilitation effort in Pandanan Beach Marine Park," he said as quoted by Antara, Monday, June 13.

He said the planting media used had different shapes and were made according to the Army's own request.

There are three iron tables in the shape of the BTS, Army, and BAP logos that are used to transplant hundreds of coral reef seeds that have been provided. The iron table measures 1.5 meters by 1 meter. The media was released in a place that is still arid (no living coral reefs).

"It aims to expand the scope of habitat for other sea creatures," said Hardyanti.

In addition to planting media made of iron, he said, the Army also made underwater photo locations in the form of the BTS logo, as well as photo spots on the beach made of wood as a marker for the creation of a BTS Marine Park on Pandanan Beach.

Not only that, the Army also made improvements at the entrance to Pandanan Beach and designed it with the BTS theme as a sign of the development being carried out.

Hardyanti added that the public is free to take pictures at the location without being charged anything.

"However, for diving activities to see the planting media under the sea, it is necessary to rent a set of diving and snorkeling equipment managed by Pokmadwas Pandanan," he said.

He said the creation of the BTS Marine Park as a form of offering from the Army to commemorate the 9th anniversary of BTS's debut (June 13, 2013). The project can run smoothly and be completed as expected without the help of various parties.

Media partners from various Army bases from various cities in Indonesia, donors, as well as the Denpasar Coastal and Marine Resources Center (BPSL), and the NTB Diving Community took part.

"To provide the tools and materials and facilities needed for the implementation of the project, fundraising was carried out through the Kitabisa.com fundraising platform for a month before the project took place and a donation of Rp13,186,380 was collected," said Hardyanti.