A HEALTH hazard is looming over Umbilo with residents pointing at the eThekwini Municipality for its failure to maintain the local park, infrastructure and to act on the growing mosquito infestation plaguing the area.

According to Mark Lombard, an Umbilo resident and a director at KZN Disaster Management Pty Ltd, this has been a concern dating back to 2017. As of late, the problem is located near Umbilo Park and surrounding areas. Following numerous complaints from residents, the City’s environmental health unit members, accompanied by Lombard, last week investigated the source of the infestation.

He said, “We proceeded on foot through the Umbilo Park area and its surrounds to inspect for signs of stagnant water and potential mosquito breeding sites. In Umbilo Park, particularly in the drainage areas connected to the park dam/pond, we observed that cut vegetation had been dumped directly in the stream service area where water flows out towards the river. This blockage has likely slowed water flow, creating an ideal environment for mosquito breeding.”

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A further investigation led to the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS), a protected greenbelt area which is maintained by the City.

“This area suffers from an extreme lack of maintenance,” said Lombard. “In some sections of the Umbilo River, we found illegal dumping of building rubble and stagnant, sewage-contaminated water. Mosquitoes could be seen hovering and landing on the water’s surface. As we continued towards the Engen Garage, the M7, and behind Brettonwood High School — near one of the pump stations — we noticed another section of stagnant water near the slipway entering the Umbilo River. This area, too, appears to be a mosquito breeding hotspot.”

Lombard said their concerns were also raised when they stumbled across a once thriving natural habitat “submerged in raw sewage”, near a pump station. “We saw what appeared to be household waste scattered around — evidence of vagrants or unauthorised dumping. The bushes near the pump station fence were covered in mosquitoes,” said Lombard.

Ward 33 councillor Fran Kristopher said the infestation was caused by a cascading series of failures.  She said, “Firstly, the Parks Department or their contractors had been cutting vegetation in the Umbilo Park. Instead of removing the cleared vegetation, they had simply dumped it in the stream. Secondly, the municipal access road to the canal and the sewage pump stations, and the maintenance access to the fuel lines was so overgrown it was impassable. This indicated that no maintenance or even inspection is being done. The pump station and its surroundings are submerged in raw sewage, which has flowed as far as the Brettenwood High School grounds. This is a serious environment health issue, and the extent of the neglect and contamination will require a multi-departmental intervention as it is beyond the scope of a single department.”

She added, “There really should be cross questioning in the municipality to find out who was responsible for these multiple service delivery failures. It is clear that this has been going on for months, if not years, with no inspection and no maintenance. Someone was not doing their job, therefore departments must be held responsible for irresponsible lack of maintenance and upkeep!”

Investigations are still underway to locate the source of the infestation.

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