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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Ardila Syakriah in Bandung

TikTok stars clean up: the influencers saving Indonesia’s polluted rivers and beaches

TikTok Indonesia Bandung West Java Flood
Hundreds join Indonesian TikTok group Pandawara in cleaning up a dam in Bandung, West Java on 26 July
Hundreds join Indonesian TikTok group Pandawara in cleaning up a dam in Bandung, West Java on 26 July Photograph: Ardila Syakriah/The Guardian

They started as flood victims, now they are touted as local heroes for cleaning up the rivers and beaches of Indonesia’s third largest city Bandung in West Java, amassing over 9 million followers on TikTok and Instagram in the process and influencing others across the country to join the fight against pollution.

The Pandawara group is five men in their early twenties and was formed in 2022 after flooding caused by rivers clogged with rubbish damaged their homes. They take their name from the five Pandava princes of Indian folklore and the word wara, which translates to the five bearers of good news.

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