Worst still to come in garbage stink

Worst still to come in garbage stink

Hundreds of people, including beach masseurs, owners of surfboard rental, food and souvenir kiosks were got their hands dirty on Kuta Beach in Badung regency on Monday, to clean up seasonal garbage that swarms the beach every year (see picture).

Tons of rotten fish, timber, grass and plastics have washed down on the beach of the popular tourist destination since November 2008. Unfortunately, according to a local official, the worst had yet to come.

"The worst garbage will be in January and February," head of the beach's security task force, I Gusti Ngurah Trisna, said. He said beach vendors are prepared to work daily to clean up the beach until March.

"I guess this action -- cleaning up the beach -- will still continue until March. Usually the garbage stops coming in April," he added.

Ruslan, 81, a noodle vendor on the beach, said he had seen the annual garbage and rotten fish collect on the beach for the last 10 years but still could not figure it out where it came from.

Many people believed that fishermen are to be blamed for throwing the fish they do not manage to load on their boats overboard but others argue that there is a booming of poisonous algae in the sea that has killed the fish. (Indah Setiawati).

Tue, 01/06/2009 11:11 AM | Bali