Nyati Road, Athlone Park clean-up secures pipeline
Durban Solid Waste, roads, law enforcement, Metro Police, compliance and enforcement, emergency services and the parks department were some of the many groups who partnered with Sasol in an effort to rehabilitate the area.
NYATI Road, Athlone Park is finally receiving the clean-up attention it deserves as a mammoth project to combat illegal dumping kicked off on Thursday, 12 April.
Durban Solid Waste, roads, law enforcement, Metro Police, compliance and enforcement, emergency services and the parks department were some of the many groups who partnered with Sasol in an effort to rehabilitate the area.
It was the Isipingo compliance and enforcement team which initially identified the terrible state of the road and brought it to the attention of other parties.
“Following complaints and personal observation, meetings were convened with various departments that led to the culmination of a multi-department and private partnership clean-up initiative of illegal dumping and overgrowth along Nyati Road, Athlone Park, which coincidentally falls under ward 93,” said ward 97’s Cllr Andre Beetge.
Read also: Multi-team plan to tackle Toti taxi rank
While officials appeared both confused and amazed that a neighbouring ward councillor is leading the intervention, Cllr Beetge simply remarked “there is a job to be done, so let’s do it.”
After the Lower Illovo steel bridge was closed at the south-western end of Toti, Nyati Road at the north-eastern side experienced a stark increase in illegal dumping. This could be attributed to residents and businesses having to travel a further route to the Lovu landfill site to dump their waste. The community along with staff and visitors to the Amanzimtoti SPCA, which is situated in the same road, made endless complaints, all of which they thought were going unheard.
Sasol eventually also complained as its main pipeline, which is a feeder line to Gauteng, is buried just two metres underground. This is the same ground on which the public is illegally dumping household, garden and industrial waste, sand harvesting and burning insulated wire.
“If this Sasol line comes into contact with any kind of flame, Nyati Road will make global news,” said Cllr Beetge.
Sasol’s Durban south pipeline controller, Calvin van Aswegen extended his gratitude to Ethekwini Municipality for kicking off the project to remove the mounds of dumping, whereby protecting Sasol’s assets.
“Sasol cannot overemphasise the importance of not having any kind of fire near to this pipeline. If this pipeline blows, it will take a lot of the area with it,” he said.
Plans are in the pipeline as to how those illegally dumping can be deterred. The installation of CCTV cameras, as well as introducing a boom gate where those entering the road will have to produce a ticket, ensuring they actually visited and used the official Nyati Road dumpsite, are some of the ideas being considered.
Failure to produce a ticket would mean they illegally dumped their unwanted load and hefty enforcement follow-up and fines would result.
Cllr Beetge further explained that the municipality has plans to not only remove all dumped waste, but also to cleanse the area of all loiterers by cutting back the overgrown bush and clearing away any place to lurk.
Those who may just reap the most benefit from this clean-up and clean-out are the local SPCA volunteers, and its dog walkers in particular, who spend their days walking the shelter’s dogs up and down the strip of road. Their walks will become increasingly safer and more enjoyable as the clean-up progresses.
The community’s involvement is crucial to ensure the littered road returns to normality and remains that way. Those who see any person, business or company dumping along the road are urged to take photos or videos of the act.
Being willing to testify in court and complete an affidavit, they must then mail those photos or video footage to Isipingo Metro’s Captain Kaicey Naicker at kaicey.naicker@durban.gov.za.
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