Rainy season has officially arrived in Bali; the rains have been pouring for weeks, and now the next most inevitable phenomenon has arrived: the tides of plastic waste.
Typically, the tides of plastic trash and ocean debris first arrive in December, but this year the waves are already bringing the trash to shore.
The worst affected beaches in Bali for tides of plastic waste are typically in Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak.
The Head of the Cleanliness and Hazardous Waste Management Division of the Badung DLHK, Anak Agung Gede Dalem, has confirmed to reporters that this week’s high tides have brought in more than 4 tonnes of waste to the beaches in the area, known collectively as Samigita Beach.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Dalem shared, “We cleaned up the trash yesterday, but it hasn’t reappeared. This is due to the high tide and heavy rain, possibly washed in from a nearby river.”
He noted that in this early wave of tidal trash, the majority of the waste was organic, though teams are preparing for more deposits of mostly inorganic waste later in the season.
He confirmed that the organic waste was collected and sorted before being transported to the Mengwitani Recycling Center.
Dalem confirmed that he and his teams are ready and prepared for this rainy season’s inevitable tides of trash. He explained that the Badung Environmental Agency (DLHK) has put a series of heavy machinery fleets and personnel on standby along the central southern coast.
He confirmed that there are 6 loaders, 2 beach cleaner units, 2 diggers, and 5 trucks on standby every day. This is in addition to 41 trash trucks that can be deployed if the volume of garbage increases.
Dalem shared “DLHK Badung stated that it is ready to deploy 300 cleaning personnel, while the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is ready to deploy 1,500 personnel to assist in handling if there is a surge in garbage shipments.”
It is not only the beaches around Kuta, Jimbaran, Legian, and Seminyak that are being impacted by debris. While the Samigita Beaches are affected by tidal trash, over in Uluwatu, world-famous Bingin Beach is currently struggling under the weight of demolition debris. Back in July this year, the Badung regency Government launched an operation to demolish more than 35 properties deemed to be illegally constructed on state-owned land.
More than 500 officers descended on Bingin Beach and began demolition work that was later completed with the assistance of heavy machinery. However, the cleanup operation has left many in the area deeply disappointed, as demolition debris has been allowed to litter the beachfront. Not only does it create an unsightly scene, but it also poses a major public health risk.
The situation has been reported to have worsened due to heavy rains and high tides that have shifted the debris further across the beach. The Regent of Badung Wayan Adi Arnawa told reporters that efforts are underway to resolve the situation. He told reporters, “The Badung Regency Government has responded, it has been contacted by the Regent, and we have deployed heavy equipment.”
He confirmed that as the rainy season continues and efforts to keep both river and ocean waterways clear continue, Bingin Beach won’t be overlooked.
Regent Arnawa shared, “We carry out regular river normalization, and Bingin Beach also requires heavy equipment. So, after the normalization process is complete, the heavy equipment will be deployed.”
Speaking separately, Anak Agung Rama Putra, Acting Head of the Badung Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Agency, revealed that the removal of demolition debris at Bingin Beach should be completed soon.
He shared, “The target for the first 30 days is to clean up the coastal land and carry out mitigation on the first, lowest embankment to prevent erosion onto the coastal land.”
Tourists traveling to Bali in the coming months are likely to see tides of plastic waste and ocean and river debris deposited on the island’s most popular beaches. Clean-up teams work from the very early hours of the morning to ensure that the debris is cleared before tourists arrive to enjoy the beach in the late morning.
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