KARINO – Hazy and foul air have become a major bone of contention among local residents since last week.
Residents of the area are fed-up with the smell of burning plastic that has now been lingering in the air for days.
Owners of guest houses say they are being adversely influenced as the stench is unbearable and it creates a very bad impression with their guests. The smoke is visible from a vast distance, and can also be detected around most parts of Mbombela. A concerned reader told Lowvelder that he stayed several kilometres from where the smoke originates, but had to close his doors in an effort to keep the smell out.
Upon investigation, Lowvelder found that it was the regional dumping site near Karino that is the root of evil. For days on end, rubbish have been smouldering here, which causes a major inconvenience and defames the beauty the surrounds like the Crocodile Gorge. Visibility near the site is limited to only a few metres due to the thick cloud of white, and at times dark, smoke.
The fire might be contributed to garbage pickers at the site, but the cause is still unknown. The issue was brought to the attention of the Department of Environmental Affairs, who undertook to investigate the problem. By the time of going to press, the department had not yet given feedback on its investigation. Spokesmen for Mbombela Municipality also had not responded to enquiries.