Much to be done to keep Tusan beach clean
MIRI: Tusan beach may have been identified as the latest place of interest in Miri, thanks to the ‘ Blue Tears’ that had helped Tusan to gain popularity through social media.
However, visitors to the beach strongly feel that more should be done to make the beach attractive. A local, who wanted to be identified as Wilson, recently told The Borneo Post that his foreign friends whom he brought to Tusan beach were unhappy with the filthy condition of the tourist spot.
“They told me they were very upset that instead of a beautiful beach which they expected, they were greeted by rubbish scattered everywhere along the beach,” he said.
Upon hearing their comments, he said he felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment especially as Miri had been promoting Tusan beach as its latest tourist attraction. So is keeping the place clean solely the responsibility of the government or does it involve the local people?
Rotary Club of Miri Oil Town did just that recently by inviting about 200 people from different private companies, organisations and individuals to clean the beach.
“We want to get the locals to join us in order to create awareness among them that it is the responsibility of everyone who lives here to keep litter off the ground and in the rubbish bin.
“Tusan is popular since three years ago after the appearance of blue luminous algae known as the ‘ Blue Tears’ phenomenon. At the time, the beach was said to be very clean and ‘ untouched’. However, as the visitors to the beach increased, so did the rubbish. It is crucial for us to think on why it occurs,” said Leslie Lau, a member of Rotary Club of Miri Oil Town.
They told me they were very upset that instead of a beautiful beach which they expected they were greeted by rubbish scattered everywhere along the beach.
Soil erosion is another issue that could pose danger to visitors to the beach.
“The weather has not been kind to Tusan and strong winds and heavy rain are causing the condition to become worse. The landslides along the cliff edge are a serious issue that could cause danger to those who come here.”
Lau, who heads the Tusan Community Project, also revealed that the beach is in dire need of proper planning as presently it does not have proper drainage, proper access, proper waste bins, handrails, guard rails and signage.
“We had met with representatives from Subis District Council to discuss on these matters and we hope the improvement can be done as soon as possible to ensure the safety of visitors,” he told The Borneo Post.
Like many other beaches in Miri, Tusan beach offers wonders to those who are adventurous.
Aside from the yellowed plastic bottles that were either washed ashore from the sea or thrown from the cliff edge down the beach, some of the rubbish included computer monitors, plastic insulators from refrigerators and ‘almost’ empty liquor bottles.
Besides beach cleaning, Lau thinks that education is equally important to keep the place litterfree. To start the ball rolling, Rotary Club of Miri Oil Town donated a couple of large rubbish bins to the beach for visitors to dispose their waste in.
Despite the lack of necessary
Wilson, a local resident
facilities such as toilets, water supply and parking spaces, one of the traders told The Borneo Post that they were making do with the current situation.
“Business improved after the ‘Blue Tears’ phenomenon became popular. They ( Blue Tears) bring people here. This also becomes our opportunity to earn extra income by selling local delicacies and produce like coconut water and coconut ice- cream.
“The weekends have been very good to us (traders) because more people means better business. Of course, we are looking forward to a more well-planned development for Tusan and we expect the authority to come up with something,” said the trader, who chose to remain anonymous.