Dumping threatens water source
People are even dumping electronic goods in the river.
THE Umkholombe River has become a ‘cesspit’.
There is no other word to describe the appalling condition of a valuable source of water to the many people who live along the banks, say residents.
It has become a dumping ground for anything and everything from old car tyres to obsolete junk appliances.
And, even worse, the badly polluted water is flowing into the sea, posing a severe threat to the coastal ecosystem.
A resident (who did not want to be named) said: “The river is in a terrible state. I feel that the municipality responsible is not paying attention to the pollution and it seems to get worse by the day.”
However, Ugu spokesman France Zama said they were extremely concerned. He said they were taking steps to join forces with the Department of Water and Sanitation, Environmental Health Services and the Hibiscus Coast Municipality to come up with a solution.
“The public seems to be dumping all kinds of waste into the river,” he said.
His counterpart at Hibiscus, Simon April, agreed and warned that dumping was highly illegal. They would throw the book at anyone who was caught.
He made an urgent appeal to people to blow the whistle on anyone they see dumping in the river.
“This affects all of us. We have to preserve our environment and government can only do so much,” he said.
