Rejuvenation project takes shape along bank of Umgeni River
A green belt, which connects to Connaught Bridge and beyond, situated behind several businesses, is now the sight of a massive clean-up campaign which has seen mounds of litter dot the land.
WHILE E. coli levels remain critically high in the Umgeni River, efforts are being made to address illegal dumping and environmental degradation along the river’s banks, specifically in the vicinity of Willowfield Crescent in the Springfield Park area.
A green belt, which connects to Connaught Bridge and beyond, situated behind several businesses, is now the sight of a massive clean-up campaign which has seen mounds of litter dot the land.
The campaign has been spearheaded by Reefer Cold Storage, who have partnered with non-profit organisation (NPO) Adopt-a-River and various other stakeholders, including eThekwini Municipality, BMS Foods (Bluff Meat Supply), Multiquip, Calvin Wright and AlcoNCP.
Durban North resident and founder of the Adopt-a-River, Janet Simpkins, spoke to Northglen News about the plan to rehabilitate the land in terms of planting new grass and indigenous plants as well as to put measures in place to prevent further dumping.
She added the plan now is to establish a permanent team to conserve and maintain the area with several businesses coming on board to adopt the sight.
One aspect that has become apparent within the first week of the clean-up is how much had been illegally dumped along the riverbank over the last few years.
“We were made aware of the problem, and it was deeply concerning because this green belt had become the perfect dumping ground. Vehicles or trucks would simply mount the pavement and drive behind the businesses and either dump on the bank or into the river. We’ve now fenced off the area, topped with razor wire as a way to block access, and it has worked as there hasn’t been any new dumping.
“What we didn’t expect was the sheer volume of rubbish dumped over years. We had everything from building rubble to general waste. We initially felt this would be a week-long clean-up, but every time the TLB we had on sight dug up more of the soil, we discovered more layers of rubbish. The rubbish is now being removed by the truck loads, and each truck is weighed when it reaches the Buffelsdraai Landfill near Iqadi. Already, we have had more than 20 trucks fully loaded with rubbish taken to the landfill, and we expect this to exceed a few tons,” she said.
