Pollution runs rife in Palmiet River
Westville families reported that the Palmiet River was crystal clear during level 5 of lockdown but when level 4 was implemented, the pollution began to flow.
ONLY a few days after level four lockdown was implemented, residents reported that copious amounts of pollution was once again flowing through the Palmiet River.
“The water is dirty, a dark coffee colour with big bales of foam. It clearly comes from some factory along the river depositing their chemical waste/dye,” said Westville resident, Benita Whitcher.
During the lockdown, Whitcher reported that the water was crystal clear.
“We were able to see the small pebbles on the riverbed. The neighbourhood children and dogs often walk and play in the river. Now we cannot do this because we do not know what has been deposited in the river,” she said. “I promised my niece a camera to record and maybe have a blog recording its beauty – it has incredible rock formation, mysterious cave-like structures and an impressive gorge.”
Champion of the Palmiet River Watch, Lee D’Eathe, said the Palmiet River was unfit for human consumption or agricultural use.
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“The Palmiet River’s health is often so poor that the results fall off the bottom of the assessment charts; and E.coli counts of 330 000 E.coli per 100ml are not unusual,” he said.
Recent tests, made possible by Talbot Laboratories (Pty) Ltd, verified that the whole catchment was seriously contaminated with human and chemical waste.
The chairman of the Westville Conservancy, Jean Senogles, said Biodiversity Week would be remembered by those who overlook the Palmiet River as one of dismay as masses of foam blew across its surface and up its banks.
“The river that is often polluted with foul smelling and noxious substances, turning various colours during episodes was running clear and sparkly soon after the national lockdown. Whomever was responsible for this tragedy, be it negligence or a deliberate act of sabotage against nature, they, including us, will pay as we always do.
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“We are dependent on Mother Earth’s bounty for our very existence. We are not doing a very good job of caring for her biodiversity, especially during Biodiversity Week,” said Senogles.
Paolo Candotti of the Aller River Project, said the problem their organisation faced was not from industry but solid waste dumped into the river by locals.
“Our project is more of a social development one. The challenges we face are different but it is devastating to see as both of these rivers feed into the Umgeni River and into Blue Lagoon and it messes up all of the work we are doing. It really is tragic,” he said.
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