WITH more rains expected this summer, environmental group Enviro Fixers Durban North has put out an appeal to help clear the areas around stormwater drains, some of which drain straight into the uMngeni River and ultimately the ocean.

Last year, local resident and member of Enviro Fixers, Helen Koch, hosted a Stormwater Saturday on her road to clear the curbs of any litter that may end up in the stormwater drains.

The success of that day was replicated across streets in the north Durban community which has prompted her to encourage residents to now make it a year-long project.

“We felt this was an extension of the Adopt-a-River and Adopt-a-Trolley programmes by encouraging active citizenship and urging residents to adopt their roads. What worked so well when we first proposed the Stormwater Saturday clean-up was installing civic pride, on a practical level. You can be proactive about preventing blockages and on a larger scale stopping litter from entering our ocean. As Enviro Fixers, we feel the seas start at your stormwater drain.

“The downside to letting piles of litter, plastic and large deposits of sand enter the drains [means the waste and debris] ultimately end up in the sea and on our beaches, or [they] block the pipes, causing flooding. We’ve seen people sweep leaves and other items into the drains, and it’s important to point out that it isn’t a waste disposal area to sweep into. We are encouraging residents to play their part because this is our rainy season. I’ve also had residents reach out and ask when we were hosting another Stormwater Saturday,” Koch said.

Her thoughts were echoed by Durban North resident and founder of Adopt-a-River, Janet Simpkins.

“I feel Helen is spot-on about being proactive to keep our streets clean. When we started the Adopt-a-Trolley initiative, one aspect of it was to focus on curbside cleaning to stop items from entering our stormwater drains. It is important to remember that all these waterways are connected and inter-connected. They have to empty out somewhere when it rains, and quite often, they end up in our rivers or oceans. Of course, large items of waste left discarded on the side of the road are a problem, but so is sand and other debris which can block stormwater networks. Norrie Avenue is one road in particular that has a major issue with blockages and overflows,” she said.

For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.