Cleaning up trash on Bali Waterway with Sungai Watch and Gary Bencheghib

Share:

Amid unruly tourists in Bali. This figure works hard so that Bali’s beauty is maintained. One of them is Gary Bencheghib, who initiated the Sungai Watch movement. Gary and Sungai Watch volunteers dive into rivers in Java and Bali daily to clean up plastic waste.

“In two-and-a-half years, the volume of waste collected was more than one million kilogrammes. But if we want to create an Indonesia that is truly clean from trash, of course we need thousands (garbage barriers),” said the son of the couple, Malik and Catherine Benchegib.

Gary pinned the name Sungai Watch so that the community would watch over the river. “So that people will no longer throw garbage into the river,” said the 28-year-old man.

Cleaning up trash on Bali Waterway with Sungai Watch and Gary Bencheghib
Source Instagram

Gary Bencheghib threw himself into a river filled with plastic waste in Denpasar’s Sanur area. The murky black river was filled with tonnes of trash; a stench wafted from the river. The smell almost made Gary’s friend vomit.

Gery and Sungai Watch volunteers are used to getting into the water when cleaning the river. This man of French blood started the Sungai Watch community in 2020 because he was disturbed by the garbage problem in Bali.

Sungai Watch was formed from the experiences of Gary and his younger brother, Sam Bencheghib. The brothers made a boat out of used bottled waste in 2017. The boat was used to sail the Citarum River, West Java, and clean up trash along the dirtiest river in the world.

The experience during the two weeks made an impression on Gary. “We couldn’t help but cry at that time,” said the 28-year-old man.

“Bali is now like a plastic island. Every rainy season, we encounter a lot of plastic waste in various places. Especially in tourist areas such as Kuta Beach and Sanur,” added the man, who has lived in Bali for 20 years.

Gary and the Sungai Watch team use the trash barrier method to clean the river. Hundreds of trash nets have been installed in various rivers in Java and Bali.

Interested in this topic? Check out our other articles from Social Expat: 

Content Writer

Being in love with writing at a young age, Anasya is eager to play with words and touch hearts. She’s been a content writer for a little over four years and officially be part of Social Expat in March 2023. Her perfectionism drives her to give her best on every project she handles.

Related News

The Jakarta Provincial Government is set to introduce a Car Free Night (CFN) every Saturday, beginning with a trial phase scheduled after the peak of Jakarta’s 488th-anniversary celebrations in late June 2025. This initiative is intended to encourage environmentally friendly activities and accommodate residents’ increasing preference for night-time exercise. Unlike the existing Car Free Day […]

Jetstar has announced the launch of a new direct international route between Newcastle Airport and Bali (Denpasar), with services scheduled to commence on 21 October 2025. This marks Newcastle’s return to regular international flights for the first time in over five years. The new service will operate three times per week using Jetstar’s modern A321LR […]

The escalating conflict between Iran and Israel has caused significant disruptions in international flights to and from Indonesia. As tensions continue to rise, several countries in the Middle East have imposed airspace closures, which have affected civil aviation in the region. Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed that the conflict has led […]

A number of Indonesian islands have been found listed for sale or rent on an international website, raising legal and political concerns. The website, privateislandsonline.com, offers several islands within Indonesian territory, including Panjang Island in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), for sale with no listed price, stating instead that pricing is “adjusted to demand.” Panjang Island, […]

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery