Why are farmers’ irrigation systems causing hundreds of motorbike deaths in Canggu?
In Canggu, Bali, EVERYONE rides a motorbike or motorcycle, so you could be the only person walking you see.
Tourist riding about with nothing on but a bikini or shorts and an air of casual confidence.
Many young, blonde tourists, locals, and even whole families can be seen riding together on a single scooter.
Everybody and their dogs get on motorbikes, sometimes in packs. And the only accessory missing from their motorbike is a cup holder for their beer.
For most people in the twenty-first century, their only experience behind the wheel is from “Mario Kart” and other video games, which is why riding a motorbike in Canggu is so popular.
So, you will understand why they become shocked when they finally get behind the wheel of the real thing and discover how drastically different it is from their Nintendo experience.
Just the look on their faces when they quickly learn that running over mushrooms won’t make your motorbike go faster is enough to make you chuckle.
And they seem angry when there aren’t any flaming fireballs to avoid while speeding down Canggu’s roads lined without rainbow colors; yet, they continue this over and over until they plunge into a ditch only one meter deep. Sometimes costing their life.
This article isn’t about drunken tourists who drive like Mario and his friends or villains, despite the title; it’s about Canggu’s deadly deathtraps (irrigation ditches) that may trick even the most sober motorists.
Its about humans and the natural world, and finding balance and harmony which is hard to find In Canggu with so many similar obstacles to those seen in the video game Mario Kart.
There are deep rice fields on each side of the highways, which may easily swallow a motorbike or car.
To replace the piranha plants, oil slicks, lava, super thwomp traps, and even Yoshi eggs that tourists face in Super Mario Kart, the roads in Canggu feature everything from chickens, three-legged dogs, monkey gangs, other Nintendo-influenced drivers, under the influence drivers, unlicensed locals, speeding trucks, and trash.
And because of these distractions, many first-time international motorist have difficulties in this area. Many of them fail to see oncoming hazards and crash into the drainage ditch or rice fields on the side. A large number of visitors suffer life-threatening injuries or even lose their lives every day as they attempt to make their way through the mayhem.
Canggu has an odd mix of drivers, with some just trying to get from point A to point B to make ends meet and others daydreaming about their extensive spa and yoga-filled itineraries.
Nevertheless, because of the high number of fatalities that have occurred on these roads, some believe there is an evil spirit or whatever negative forces that exist between the material and spiritual world.
Official estimates, which are seldom publicized unless it involves the death of an intoxicated foreigner, put the number at about one in a hundred. The provincial Road Police estimate that 1,500 people lose their lives each year due to traffic accidents in Bali. Motorcyclists account for 80% (1,200) of the fatalities.
The existence of ditches a meter deep on each side of Canggu’s narrow roadways has prompted some to wonder “why the fuck.”
There is little that can be gathered from reports, videos, photos, articles and sometimes predetermined alcohol-related causes of death without an autopsy to shed light on this mystery.
Articles about tourists’ excessive drinking, sexual conduct, noise pollution, and urination near temple walls is pretty much the norm. Well, at least it’s more fun than the sad truth of people dying on Canggu’s roads.
Perhaps a letter to Nyoman Kenak, Chairman of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (Hindu Council) or other Bali officials is in order. Afterall, they are quick to issue a number of statements in response to alleged disruptions and acts of disrespect, especially when it’s about Bali’s reputation or disturbing a public figures sleep.
So, what are these ditches on the side of the road?
Water supply and irrigation systems, known as subaks in Bali, are a symbol of the sacred relationship between humanity and the gods.
Water is diverted from a larger body of water through a network of weirs, dams, and canals and then distributed to individual rice fields.
Each farmer in the subak may have dozens of individual plots throughout Canggu, all of which are connected by small channels, bamboo pipelines, or underground tunnels that bridge ditches and travel under streets.
Who is responsible for the subak maze of death in Canggu?
Along with a subak’s intricate physical design comes the need for careful administration which Canggu doesn’t do a very good job at.
The subak organization is accountable for this; it is a decentralized, democratic structure in which members fulfill certain roles.
Workers on the farm are known as seka, those who offer financial backing for farming are called pengampel, and those who work on the perimeter, such temple priests, are called leluputan.
What’s being done about these motorbike deaths in Canggu?
Most of these cases, however, are never investigated beyond the first news headline, and the victims are soon forgotten.
There has been a disturbing number of motorbike-related deaths in Canggu due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, and it is high time that someone took action to address this problem.
Communicate with those in authority who can effect change and save lives, including lawmakers, government officials, police, and others.
Straws made of plastic, Canggu’s noise pollution, graffiti, and rubbish don’t matter compared to human life.