Kavady festival marred by sewage stench

Sewage spills seem to be a perennial problem along the Umbango River.

Those living or travelling along Oscar Borchers Road, Protea Road and Crescent Street are greeted with the unpleasant sight and stench of sewage.

Since Sunday, Hindus have been observing the Thai Poosam Kavady festival.

On Tuesday, this week, the festival at the Umbango Sri Siva Soobramoniar Temple was marred by the stench of sewage emanating from the Umbango River at various points.

Morgan Naidoo, chairperson of the Umbango River Conservancy, said sewage in the rivers is an ongoing problem, and there seems to be no solution.

“The stench is unbearable. Ugu was contacted, and some of the issues were attended to, but sadly, the stench is still overwhelming. Residents are contributing to the blockage of sewer pipes by flushing sanitary pads and other items down the system. We are facing a two-pronged problem – effluent in the rivers and blockages at all bridges. Both our municipalities have different functions. To date, neither municipality is cleaning the bridges to allow free flow of water.”

He added that the conservancy has met with Ugu countless times over the years to resolve these issues in vain. “I have engaged the services of a private contractor to clean the bridge at the temple to allow the free flow of water,” said Naidoo.

“The constant discharge of raw sewage into the rivers and streams has created a toxic environment that’s not only harming our community’s health but also desecrating the sacred space around our temple. The unbearable stench has made it impossible for devotees to gather and worship in peace. As someone who calls this community home, I implore the authorities to take immediate action to address the root cause of this pollution and restore the river’s sanctity, ” said Tigs Naicker.

According to Naidoo, sewage spillages can expose residents to harmful bacteria and pathogens, potentially causing a range of health issues including gastrointestinal illnesses like diarrhoea, vomiting, skin infections, and in severe cases, more serious diseases like hepatitis A and E, depending on the level of exposure and the type of pathogens present.

Additionally, sewage spills can disrupt daily life by creating unpleasant odours and impacting the aesthetic quality of the environment, potentially affecting property values in the area.

Over the years, the Herald has written many articles on how the river and its wildlife have suffered from a dysfunctional sewage plant. The situation has not improved, and the river is once again in a poor state.

According to the spokesperson of Ugu District Municipality, a team was deployed to investigate and resolve the issue last week, yielding the following findings:

“Two manholes from Palm View were discovered to be obstructed, and the blockages were cleared on January 28. Sewer pipes along Maywood Avenue, parallel to the Umbango tributary leading to Crescent Street, were found to have been washed away, resulting in raw sewer discharge into the stream. This issue was subsequently addressed.”

Furthermore, Zama said after the completion of the aforementioned repairs, a further assessment was conducted along the stream from Crescent Street down to the Umbango Plant along the Umbango River to address the persistent ‘smell’ issue.

“The persistent smell has been attributed to blockages on bridges caused by logs and trees due to heavy rainfall. We have engaged Ray Nkonyeni Municipality to assist in unblocking the bridges to flush out the stagnating water.”

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