Badung. As the rainy season intensifies, Bali’s iconic beaches—Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak—have once again been inundated with waste carried by ocean currents. The seasonal phenomenon, which worsens during the wet season, has created an unsightly mess along the coastline.

The shores have been littered with various types of debris, ranging from tree branches and logs to scattered plastic waste, tarnishing the area's scenic view.

Clean-up crews were deployed over the weekend to remove the waste. At Legian Beach, piles of garbage have reportedly reached up to 5 meters high, while along the Jimbaran coastline, an average of 20 tons of waste is being collected daily, according to Gede Kariartawan, one of the beach cleaning staff.

“We work hard to clear this waste every day, given the significant volume,” Gede told Beritabali.com, a part of the B-Universe media network, on Saturday.

The collected waste is being transported to a recycling facility in Mengwi, Badung, for further processing.

The sight of trash-covered beaches has left many visitors disappointed. Hanna, a tourist from England, expressed her frustration, saying that the trash ruins the view.

Andre, a domestic tourist from Yogyakarta, echoed her sentiments, hoping for better maintenance of the beaches to ensure a pleasant experience for visitors.

However, some tourists, like Parlin Astipuan from Jakarta, acknowledged the inevitability of the seasonal phenomenon.

“It’s disturbing, of course, but what can we do? This is just the season, and that’s why the waste is here,” Parlin said.

Badung’s Environmental and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) reported that the daily volume of waste washing ashore at Kuta Beach has reached approximately 20 tons. With the western monsoon season expected to peak between January and March, the agency predicts that this amount could double in the coming months.

Putu Suke Ariama, the field supervisor coordinator for South Kuta, explained that this issue is part of an annual seasonal cycle but assured efforts are being maximized to maintain the beaches’ cleanliness and comfort for visitors.

“We’ve deployed heavy equipment and hundreds of personnel to clean the shoreline regularly. Our priority is to maintain clean sand areas so visitors can feel comfortable,” said DLHK Badung coordinator Made Gede Dwipayana.

Dwipayana added that the situation typically improves by April, once the peak of the rainy season subsides.