The impact of Mount Merapi eruption on 26 October is still felt up to yesterday, making many places in Yogyakarta dirty. UGM is one that is affected. Volcanic ashes are seen littering various faculties, units, and streets within UGM compound. UGM academic community are seen busy mopping the floor.
According to the Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., to clean the dirt, especially volcanic ashes, on Monday (1/11), several units including the Office of the Executive Board and the Directorate of HR, from the leadership to staff share the work together. "It's also one step for UGM to be clean from dirt and volcanic ash," says Prof. Sudjarwadi on Monday (1/11) at Graha Sabha Pramana.
He said the Merapi volcanic ash did not disrupt the teaching-learning activities at UGM, including the Mid Semester Examination currently underway. Activities on campus continue to run normally, but many members of UGM academic community were wearing masks in anticipation of Acute Respiratory Infections. “The DERU team (Disaster Early Response Unit) distributed masks for the UGM academic community," he said.
The issue related with the eruption of Mount Merapi had no impact on some of UGM activity plans in recent weeks. One of them is the plan of an international conference of WISDOM (World Conference on Science, Education and Culture) on 8 November. "There is no delegation canceling the visit. In fact, the students will also be involved in some series of events in WISDOM," the Rector said.
He also mentioned that up to this day there were no casualties from UGM in the eruption. Indeed, according to the Rector, the eruption and the presence of its caretaker, (the late) Mbah Maridjan, is one of the community's local wisdom. "We can take the wisdom and the meaning of the eruption of Merapi in the presence of Mbah Maridjan," he said.
But, today UGM already looks clean. The last night heavy rain helped clean up and remove the ashes of Mount Merapi.