Landfill site’s closed after two decades
The history of the Bulbul Drive landfill and the fight by residents to have it closed.
THE Bulbul Drive landfill in Chatsworth, which was a site of much contention for locals, was closed after 20 years of protests, thanks to the work of local organisations and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance’s (SDCEA) Desmond D’Sa.
The site, opened in 1990 with little or no public consultation by Wasteman, a waste management company, was used to house toxic waste from local factories. Residents and local organisations quickly teamed up to try close the site, with little success for more than 20 years.
In 2009, the site was near maximum capacity and an application was submitted to authorities to expand the size of the landfill, with a new date offered for closure in 2021. The Silverglen Civic Association, which began the fight against the landfill site, along with various other local and environmental organisations, including SDCEA, formed the BulBul Dumpsite Action Committee to fight the submission. In 2010, their work was rewarded with Wasteman withdrawing its application for extension and announcing the permanent closure of the site in November 2011.
