EDITOR – I would urge resident (‘Our Toti lagoon is dying’) not to despair. Yes, our lagoon has been reeling for many months from two unfortunate incidents.
Firstly, we had the erosion and subsequent collapse of the rail embankment above the lagoon. Secondly, a portion of a sewage main pipeline along Bernadotte Road collapsed.
While there has been progress towards resolving both these major crises, there is no doubt that much still needs to be accomplished.
While letters to the local media do play a part in raising awareness, they are not the answer. We should rather direct our concerns to eThekwini water and sanitation division, and to Metro Rail Engineering Division. Only they can deal with the practical solutions. Waste Water Division (Isipingo) has made some effort by dispersing lime into the polluted water where the canal discharges from beneath the taxi stand.
Is Toti lagoon dying? I would dispute this statement. Despite the ‘green slime and harmful pollution’, bird life has proliferated of late. I was fascinated one Saturday morning recently, to count over 60 water birds in the water and on the banks of the lagoon. These include pelicans, egrets, herons, Egyptian and Spurwinged geese, cormorants, plovers, wagtails, and a variety of seabirds.
Do not lose hope but rather let us consider what practical steps we can each take to improve the health of Amanzimtoti River and lagoon.
