Paradise lost: The grim state of Bali's Kuta beach that is now littered with plastic after becoming a tourist hotspot
- Shocking new footage shows Kuta Beach littered with plastic waste after a storm
- The beach, located on Bali's south coast, was once a popular tourist destination
- Area is facing a pollution problem which is at its worst from December to March
A holiday hotspot in Indonesia has been transformed into an unsightly wasteland after a tide of rubbish washed ashore during a storm.
Shocking new footage shows Kuta Beach, on Bali's south coast, littered with plastic waste following a heavy rain storm last Wednesday.
The beach, once a popular tourist destination, has been beset with waste problems that are now threatening the area's tourism business.
The issue is at its worst from December to March with seasonal winds and heavy rain forcing the rubbish to accumulate on the beach.
A clip posted by a witness shows the devastating aftermath that has left the beach nearly uninhabitable.
From paradise to wasteland: Shocking new images show the Kuta Beach transformed into a wasteland following a heavy rain storm which brought in a tide of trash to shore last week
The beach, once a popular tourist destination, has been beset with waste problems which are at their worst from December to March with seasonal winds and heavy rain forcing the rubbish to accumulate
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'In 17 years, I never saw a situation like this. The amount of plastic is unreal. Unreal,' the witness says.
Earlier this month, photos showed bikini-clad tourists relaxing near the shore despite being surrounded by trash and debris.
Pockets of golden sand have managed to peek through the flooded shoreline that has been inundated by driftwood and refuse.
Plastic bags, discarded cups and straws were among the rubbish brought up by swirling currents.
A tide of trash has washed ashore on a tourist hotspot in Bali, transforming the picturesque beach into more of a disaster zone
Kuta, on Bali's south coast, tends to be swamped by holidaymakers taking in the party atmosphere
However, shocking images have emerged this week showing the beach teeming with rubbish instead
Pockets of golden sand have managed to peak through the flooded shoreline that has been covered in piles of driftwood
Plastic bags, discarded cups and straws were also hidden amongst the rubbish brought up by swirling currents
Rubbish has increasingly become a problem at the tourist hotspot with officials starting to send out hundreds of cleaners and trucks to remove the debris.
The annual monsoon season tends to make Bali's rubbish problem far worse, Putu Eka Merthawan from the local environment agency told news.com.au.
Indonesia is among the worst contributors to plastic pollution, with 200,000 tonnes of plastic washing into the ocean, according to a study published by the journal Nature Communications in 2017.
Bali's rubbish problem is at its worst from December to March with season winds and heavy rain forcing the rubbish to the sand
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