Illegal dumping worsens on Ryde Place

RESIDENTS of Ryde Place say they are outraged over clean-up attempts allegedly made by the eThekwini Municipality.

While Malacca Road and Ryde Place have historically been sites for various forms of illegal dumping in years gone by, the recent three-week strike by some eThekwini Municipality workers from the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), has exacerbated the problem.

Residents from Ryde Place, Allamanda Drive and Bougainvillea Drive say there has been an increase in fly populations which have invaded their homes due to the items being dumped.

What is more, residents say the destruction of a section of the concrete boundary wall, allegedly by a municipal department, in a recent clean-up, has now worsened the issue.

They allege a TLB moved the illegally dumped items into heaps on one side of the road and covered them with piles of soil, leading to a section of the wall collapsing.

The boundary wall, which encloses the green belt around the Redhill Cemetery, was installed in 2015 to secure the area from criminal elements and to stop illegal dumping.

While some panels of the concrete wall have been destroyed or vandalised by criminal elements, the newly damaged section may lead to easier access for illegal dumpers, argue residents.

Zareena Hendricks explained how the illegal dumping had led to an increase in flies.

“Of late, unfortunately, there’s been countless incidents of illegal dumping being reported, and nothing is being done about it. So much so that it has now culminated in this horrific, unhygienic and disgusting situation. Not only is it unsightly, it is unsafe for motorists who use the lower end of this road. The roadside has been impeded by the encroaching rubble and garbage. It is at a point where motorists are unable to pass by each other simultaneously. On a hot day, there is also an increase in flies which have invaded our homes,” she explained. “Residents noticed a TLB that was apparently just moving the rubble/garbage off the road side but did not remove any of the dumped garbage/rubble which further exacerbated the problem as, in the process, garbage bags were obviously torn open.”

Her comments were echoed by Vinay Ganesh.

“This is unacceptable as the rubbish was just covered by the sand. What I would suggest is to put up several signs or billboards warning illegal dumpers. There must also be an example set where people caught dumping are fined heavily. If you drive down Ryde Place, it’s not just garden refuse or household rubbish but rubble and other items, including medical waste. We’ve even discovered meat that was dumped,” she said.

Fellow Ryde Place resident Patrick McCain suggested the road be closed and sealed off after the last residential home.

“Illegal dumping is out of control, but the strike certainly accelerated how much was being disposed of. We saw people coming in droves to dump items. The flies that we refer to are not your ordinary household flies; they are dark and big, and we have a number of smaller fruit flies in our homes. While I do use Ryde Place on a daily basis in and out of the area because of convenience, I would rather the City block the road at either end to stop people from accessing it,” he said.

Jack Small, whose home is the last residential property before the cemetery fence, has had to put up a sign to deter dumpers.

“I think we should close Ryde Place off to stop this from getting worse. My property is the very last home before the start of the green belt, and people have even dumped right on my verge. My concern with the recent attempts by the municipality is they’ve undermined the bank by removing sand from one side of Ryde Place. Any heavy rains could lead to a mudslide. The broken section of the wall will now lead to more illegal dumping,” Small said.

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