Public prosecutor to decide on Scorpions’ sting
Environmental management inspectors of the criminal investigations section of Mpumalanga Environmental Affairs (Green Scorpions) and the Blue Scorpions (Department of Water and Sanitation) have investigated several sites in and around Lydenburg over the past year-and-half. Steelburger/ Lydenburg News enquired about the status of the investigations.
Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson of the Department of Water and Sanitation, said no improvements have been made at the Extension 8 pump station.
“Intentional or negligent pollution of the water resources is regarded as an offence in terms of section 151 of the National Water Act, 1998. The Lydenburg Water Treatment Plant has been a subject of concern for a long time.
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“It is the property and responsibility of the municipality and as such, it would be helpful for the municipality to also be engaged in this regard. Previously, the department undertook administrative enforcement processes against the municipality. These measures have been exhausted with no positive outcomes. The department along with the Mpumalanga Green Scorpions from the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environment Affairs, have undertaken the criminal enforcement route as a last resort. The act allows for such. Several criminal cases have been opened against the municipality by members of the public as well.
“The docket has been compiled and handed over to the office of the DPP (Director Public Prosecution), Mbombela in the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) for a decision. The department will continually offer support to the NPA regarding the case. There are no improvements with regard to the sewer issues in Lydenburg. The wastewater treatment works are now totally dysfunctional. The attenuation dam in the Extension 2 pump station has been lined. However, the dam does not have a freeboard, allowing for continual discharge of the raw sewage into the Dorps River. The positive is that MP Provincial Administration/Cogta will be supporting the municipality with the refurbishment of the WWTW. They have also brought in the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA) to provide technical support. This is in order to repair broken electrical and mechanical equipment. The dysfunctional state of the WWTW is mainly due to broken equipment. This is expected to happen during the current financial year,” said Ratau.
Construction of the pump station in Ext 2 started in 2020 last year after residents had complained about the stench and the sewage leaking into the Dorps River for the past nine years. According to residents, the spills and stench made their lives unbearable since they were forced to see human faeces flowing into the road and ultimately leaking into the Dorps River. There was a considerable amount of delay in progress, due to Covid-19 and the allocation of tenders.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News reported on Thursday August 1, 2019 that the community had protested at the pump station and the group demanded that local service providers be allocated the contract.
The now infamous Lydenburg Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), just outside Lydenburg on the R37 towards Burgersfort, is one of the biggest issues. It has not been fully operational for the past four years.
In addition to the water treatment plant that has not been fully operational, several other health and safety concerns have been raised by concerned citizens.
The Extension 2 sewerage project is part of the refurbishment of the sanitation infrastructure of TCLM, funded through the municipal infrastructure grant.
Ratau also said the Blue Scorpions ensures the protection of all water resources in the country as well as the enforcement of all water and sanitation laws and regulations.
It was appointed in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) of 2008.
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