FOLLOW-UP Hyacinth has to dry out to be completely removed
The CoE removed all the hyacinth which was in the Witfield Dam.
In response to an article Boksburg Advertiser recently published about the removal of hyacinth on Witfield Dam and illegal dumping in the area, the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) said their normal maintenance work will commence as soon as the hyacinth has been removed from the dam’s bank.
According to CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 prohibits the transportation of wet hyacinth as it may propagate to other water bodies.
“Efforts to manage the water hyacinth from Witfield Dam first started with the release of biological agents over 18 months ago.
“This was then enhanced with manual removal in November. They then implemented mechanical removal in June until September,” Dlamini explained.
He said going forward their maintenance work is to remove the hyacinth plants manually and use herbicide spraying and biological control methods.
“The city will clear the stormwater channels of litter as soon as possible. We, however, encourage the community to report whoever is responsible for littering as this will have a negative impact on the dam,” said Dlamini.
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