JAKARTA: Around 18 tonnes of garbage were collected in a three day clean-up effort at the popular Kuta beach in Badung, Bali, recently.
Most of the trash, plastic waste and tree branches that were washed ashore were cleared in the effort that began on Sunday, according to online news portal, kompas.com.
The Badung Environmental Agency spearheaded the clean-up operation, describing it as a routine exercise that was necessary during the rainy season to ensure the beach remained clear of debris.
The agency’s fast response unit coordinator Gede Dwipayana said most of the trash flowed down rivers throughout the regency before ending up in the ocean.
Bali is one of dozens of islands in the archipelago grappling with the growing problem of marine and coastal litter, which worsens during the rainy season.
Dwipayana predicted the volume of trash on beaches would increase over the next few months due to the rainy season feeding the flow of the rivers, which will last until April.
In anticipation of more garbage piling up, Dwipayana said the agency had prepared a 12-person team to lead clean-up efforts at some of the island’s coastal areas.
The targeted areas included Kuta Beach, Legian and Se-minyak.
Research by the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s Environmental Pollution and Damage Control Directorate General previously estimated that ocean trash throughout Indonesia totalled 1.2 million tonnes and consisted mostly of plastic and wood.
Though it is difficult to trace the origins of the trash on Bali’s beaches, analysts estimated that up to 80 per cent originated from the island itself. Garbage collected by informal workers at hotels and villages is reportedly often dumped in rivers that end up carrying the waste to sea and onto the island’s beaches.