Booms halt litter deluge
Around eight cubic metres of rubbish have been collected from this litter boom so far.
HUNDREDS of pieces of litter, debris including fridges, and other forms of rubbish have made the surface of the uMhlangane tributary look like a rubbish dump after the heavy rains over the weekend. The litter booms which were installed at different points along the uMngeni River and along some of the tributaries have made a massive difference, stopping the rubbish from spreading.
According to Bart Fokkens, who is part of the Dusi Umgeni Conservation Trust (DUCT), an organisation that champions the environmental health of the uMngeni and uMsunduzi Rivers, around eight cubic metres of rubbish have been collected by Fokkens and his team so far, and the job is far from over.
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In a video interview with Northglen News last year, Fokkens explains the idea behind the booms.
“The latest rains brings rubbish from the stormwater pipes as well as items dumped along the river edge and they ultimately end up here. Were it not for the litter booms there would be more rubbish flowing into the Umngeni River. Most of the rubbish we’ve collected so far are plastic bottles and a number of nurdles which are damaging to the environment.
“The Umngeni River system has become badly degraded through neglect and over exploitation. These booms are fantastic in that they trap any debris or rubbish here before it washes down to the beaches and ultimately into the ocean.”
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