WATCH: Environmental catastrophe as dead fish wash up along Umgeni River

SCORES of dead fish washed up on the banks of the Umgeni River on Monday morning (August 22), sparking renewed concerns over the health of the river.

Videos circulating on social media shows lifeless fish also floating on the surface of the river.

Durban North resident and paddler, Debbie Lewis, said she was heartbroken by what she witnessed while documenting the scale of the disaster.

“There were pockets of fish with their heads out of the water looking for oxygen. I noticed dead fish along the riverbank from the Ellis Brown Viaduct all the way to the Athlone Bridge and possibly beyond that. It is just a heartbreaking scene to witness. It also makes me so angry because why is this being allowed to happen?” Lewis said.

Last week, Janet Simpkins, the founder and director of non-profit organisation (NPO), Adopt-a-River, raised the alarm over the high levels of E. coli contamination in the river.

Recent independent water-quality testing conducted by Talbot on behalf of the NPO has revealed ‘shockingly high’ levels of E. coli.

“The readings from the most recent testing have revealed one of the highest counts of E. coli contamination since we began testing. It is actually shocking. We haven’t had an acceptable reading from the testing points along the river for some time now. This is an indication that the river is incredibly sick and full of E. coli. What is more worrying is we aren’t testing for a whole lot of things.

“If we were testing for other pathogens… It is scary to think what else is in the water. E. coli is just an indicator that sewage is present in the water. I know of one case where a paddler contracted hepatitis from the river water, and it is frightening to think how dire the situation could be. I know the municipality have blamed this on the damage to sewerage and sanitation infrastructure after the floods, but this has been going on for far longer than that,” she said.