Length of uMngeni River litter boom extended
According to Siphiwe Rakgabale, litter boom uMngeni coordinator, the purpose of the booms is to target principally plastic packaging that pollutes oceans, river systems and beaches.
IT has been just a little more than a month since the Durban Green Corridor installed the newest litter boom, across the mouth of the uMngeni River, and it has had the desired effect of halting large amounts of litter from entering the ocean.
According to Siphiwe Rakgabale, litter boom uMngeni coordinator, the purpose of the booms is to target principally plastic packaging that pollutes oceans, river systems and beaches.
Since monitoring the boom, Rakagable has decided to add an additional 50 metres to the boom which now measures 250 metres in length and weighs 225 kilograms.
Related story: WATCH: New litter boom installed at uMngeni River mouth
The boom was placed across the river’s narrowest point (from the Blue Lagoon beach bank to the bank of the Beachwood Mangroves beach) and Rakgabale feels additional protection is needed as we approach the rainy season.
“Besides adding an additional 50 metres on the Beachwood Mangroves Reserve beach side, we feel that the boom will be tested come the rainy season. With all of the booms we’ve installed across Durban, heavy rains bring large amounts of litter down river. So we will soon be adding another litter boom of the same length as a backup for this one. There are several positives to come out of this as we felt this boom has diverted most rubbish to one specific spot on the sandback opposite Blue Lagoon.
“The eco rangers who clean this area on a regular basis have also said they’ve had less to pick up near the mouth. The boom has now made it easier to clean as all the litter is concentrated in one spot. Right now we are seeing a lot of water hyacinth coming down the river which we are dealing with. We hope to add the next litter boom before the end of August,” he explained.
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The litter boom project has been piloted in Durban for the past 10 years with a total of 10 litter booms situated on various tributaries and waterways including, Quarry Road, Johanna Road, Connaught bridge, SPCA, Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve and now the uMngeni River.
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