Efforts to restore the glory of the Mount Taruwongso tourist destination in Watubonang Village, Tawangsari Subdistrict, Sukoharjo Regency, are beginning to show a glimmer of hope. Hundreds of volunteers, consisting of residents, school students, university students, and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel, collaborated in an environmental clean-up action held on Friday (10/7/2026).
This activity was initiated by the Sukoharjo Activist Alliance Forum (FAAS) in collaboration with the Watubonang Village Government. The main focus of this action was cleaning up piles of garbage and dry vegetation littering the tourist area, while also serving as a symbolic first step in restoring the area, which had been neglected since the Covid-19 pandemic.
FAAS Coordinator, Dableg Siswo Sunarto, revealed that Mount Taruwongso has extraordinary panoramic potential as an alternative tourist destination in the southern region of Sukoharjo. However, post-pandemic, the number of tourist visits plummeted to its lowest point. Public presence at the location can currently be counted on one hand, especially on weekdays.
Echoing Dableg, the Secretary of Watubonang Village, Darmadi, expressed high appreciation for the cross-element involvement in this action. According to him, environmental cleanliness is the basic asset in rebuilding visitor trust and appeal. He is optimistic that if this destination becomes crowded again, the impact will be directly felt by local MSMEs in driving the village economy.
Going forward, cleaning this area is expected to be a catalyst for the revitalization of other supporting facilities. The village government is committed to continuously striving to make Mount Taruwongso a tourism magnet capable of boosting the economic welfare of surrounding residents through the weekend visitor sector.
