RNM cracks down on illegal dumping
There has been some improvement in certain areas but there are still those who continue to flagrantly disregard the by-laws.
It has become increasingly common to see huge piles of household and construction waste dumped on the side of the road or in the open veld along the South Coast.
Illegal dumping has serious implications, not only for human hygiene, but also for wildlife.
ALSO READ : Illegal dumping is a growing problem in Port Shepstone and surrounds
To combat this problem Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) has announced that it is embarking on a drastic campaign fight the scourge.
RNM’s chief whip, Selvan Chetty was last Thursday contacted by Albersville residents regarding illegal dumping at the corner of Flamingo Avenue and Albersville Road.
After visiting the site, Mr Chetty contacted Mthandeni Ndwalane (HOD Community Services) and a local businessman was issued a fine for illegal dumping.
One Albersville resident said illegal dumping had been an ongoing problem for months.
“I made contact with the businessman and asked him to stop dumping his refuse here but he didn’t. The problem escalated when other residents started dumping their refuse in the same place and it quickly became an eyesore.
“The stench and flies became a huge problem and we had no option but to contact Mr Chetty for help.”
In November last year, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality launched its anti-litter and illegal dumping campaign, under the banner ‘The War Against Littering and Illegal Dumping’.
Spokesman for the municipality Simon April said several organisations, including the police, CPFs, ratepayers associations, conservancies and private security companies were invited to become involved.
“The campaign is aimed at taking drastic action. The main pillars of the campaign are education, enforcement of by-laws, prosecution and partnerships.”
There has been some improvement in certain areas since the launch of the campaign but there are still those who continue to flagrantly disregard the by-laws.
The municipality encourages each and every member of the community to play a role in the fight against littering and illegal dumping by reporting infringements to Law Enforcement at 039 6825555.
Some of the problem areas are Albersville sports grounds, Deepvale Road (Marburg), Mitchell and Alamein Drive (Port Shepstone), Lions Grove, Marburg Extension 14, and Commercial Road (Umtentweni).
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