A Toti Environmental Liaison Committee (TELC) has been set up.
Facilitated by Toti Conservancy, it is to improve communication between various municiapl departments to fast-track service delivery.
Chairman of the conservancy, Laura Taylora called the first TELC meeting on 1 July after a load of used oil was dumped in the large skip at the entrance to the beach near Toti golf course at the end of last year. Oil leaked onto the beach and when the skip was removed by Durban Solid Waste, the oil on the beach was not cleaned up. When the conservancy complained to DSW at the time, it was told that it was not their responsibility to clean the oil on the beach, but the responsibility of the beach department. “This incident, along with numerous others, where the apparent lack of co-operation and co-ordination between the various departments of Ethekwini municipality often results in poor service delivery and frustration on the part of the citizens of our area, prompted us to call this meeting in an attempt to improve the situation,” said Laura.
Present at the meeting were the area manager of DSW, Nhlanhla Kunene; chief water quality officer, Ronnie Naicker; senior manager of waste water networks, Dave Wilson; wastewater networks area engineer, Mthoko Ncwane; Les Oolaganathan of water and sanitation pollution control department; chairman of Amanzimtoti WESSA, Chris Skinner and Bruce Blake of parks and recreation, among others.
“It was agreed that this is a good initiative overall and that it needs to continue,” said Laura. “We will meet quarterly and the next meeting will take place on Tuesday, 30 September at 2pm at the Toti library hall.”
