Those living near the Panorama Compost Site should brace themselves for they will be breathing in polluted and foul-smelling air for a few days following the fire that broke out at the site, igniting the heaps of compost .
Clouds of thick, dark smoke emerged from the site on Tuesday morning, 29 September.
Ward 126 councillor David Brand reported on the cause of this unpleasant situation.
“An electrical transformer at the old compost site exploded last night, causing a fire. The Fire Department went to the site to contain the burning compost,” he said, adding that Pikitup will spread out the burning material to speed up the burning process.
Ward 89 councillor Amelia Bester added that the Pikitip depot manager informed that the site might smoulder for the next 10 days.
Coincidentally, this time last year, the compost site smouldered for over a week after the compost accidentally caught fire.
The thick smoke, which infiltrated many properties, left an undesirable smell and residents expressing health concerns.
The site remains closed temporarily for clearing and freeing up space, and is expected to reopen in due course.
The Northsider will closely monitor the situation. This is a developing story.
