Garden refuse sites finally free of illegal dumping woes
On Friday the area outside the Garden Refuse Site was finally cleared after the months-long battle.
Areas surrounding garden refuse sites in Centurion have finally been cleared after the months-long battle with illegal dumping.
When Rekord visited the Rooihuiskraal Garden Refuse site on Friday (November 17), the garbage outside the site had been cleared and trucks were in the process of removing refuse from within the site.
Mountains of illegally dumped waste were posing a health and safety risk, said residents as Centurion battled with the effects of weeks without waste collection during the illegal strike by municipal workers.
Residents in the area had reported that the heaps of trash had attracted flies to their houses, while they raised concerns about the toxic fumes released when the sites caught fire.
Waste piled up at the Rooihuiskraal and Kruger Avenue Garden Refuse sites caught fire in several incidents during this period.
The city attempted to implement waste collection catch-up plans several times, however, the plans were hampered by the strikes, as some garbage trucks were set alight by strikers.
Some community members, including clean-up teams from the Hennops River Revival project, also attempted to assist at the sites, however, due to intimidation and safety concerns, they had to abandon their work.
Residents can now breathe a sigh of relief as the metro deployed EPWP workers to assist in litter picking, while work was being done at the sites to clear the refuse backlog.
Councillors in the region were trying to manage the problem by calling on residents not to illegally dump their waste.
Ward 69 councillor Cindy Billson said during the strike that she was shocked to see residents and unscrupulous garden services dumping while others were busy trying to clean up the area.
She said she was happy that the site had finally begun to look better, although she noted there was still work that needed to be done.
According to the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, dumping waste in public spaces could result in a maximum period of imprisonment of three years or a R60 000 fine, or both, as determined by a court.
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