AFTER a series of failed attempts by the City to install a stormwater drain at the municipality-owned Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve in Glenwood, it seemed there was a glimmer of hope when, three weeks ago, a third of the drainage system, which runs through the centre of the local nature reserve, was completed.

However, just a week later, following heavy rains on March 20, the newly completed structure fell apart.

Crispin Hemson, chair of the Friends of Pigeon Valley, said work was undertaken to address the erosion on the main track of the reserve after years of pressure on the municipality to do so by the Friends and started in late 2019.

He said that from the outset, there was a lack of attention to the requirements for public participation, stating that he felt it would have been very helpful to all concerned if a meeting of the officials, the contractor and the Friends of Pigeon Valley had taken place, and if an environmental consultant could have been involved in the project from the start.

Also read: Pigeon Valley: KZN floods damage

“This is not a technical issue; it’s a management issue. The management has totally failed. There is a lack of commitment, and as a result, this unique reserve has been devastated by these failures and the level of neglect here is appalling,” said Hemson.

“The initial problem at the inception of the project in late 2019 was that they used pipes that were too narrow and incapable of handling the flow of water that comes through the reserve when there are heavy rains – it’s a very heavy flow. The project was disrupted during Covid, and during the pandemic, there was a lot of damage caused. The project was finally completed in February of 2021, but in April of 2022, everything was swept away during the April flood and there were huge amounts of damage. Since then, until the end of February 2024, nothing has been done, and then, work got going on one third of the stormwater drain, starting from the front of the reserve – it was paved and completed,” said Hemson.

The Glenwood resident said he had his suspicions that only focusing on one part of the track would be futile. “If the top is not completed, then the bottom will inevitably crumble – the water comes from the highest point. We had one hour of heavy rain on Wednesday, March 20, and all that progress was washed away.”

Also read: WATCH: Urgent drainage needed at Pigeon Valley

Hemson says there is very intense soil erosion in the reserve. “I have reached out to all of the relevant parties for answers, and I have not received a solid answer about how we can move forward. This is a proclaimed nature reserve, and it’s falling apart before our eyes. Residents are enraged by the lack of urgency, the lack of treating this like a major problem and the destruction of very rare resources. There are several rare trees, such as the Natal Elm and Natal Forest Loquat trees, amongst many others, and wildlife that lives here. All of this will be lost if we don’t do something soon.”

The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment at the time of going to print.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.