Cuttings Beach still open to public despite industrial waste scare
A pollution control officer from the Southern Sewerage Works took water samples to run tests.
DESPITE fishermen this week reporting their concern about industrial waste being dumped in the adjacent Umlazi canal and washing down onto Cuttings Beach, the merebank beach still remains open to the public for use.
Local anglers notified South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) about industrial waste flowing down Cuttings Beach in Merebank on Tuesday, 27 February.
SDCEA co-ordinator Desmond D’Sa who responded, said this is not the first time Cuttings Beach has borne the brunt of dumped industrial waste. He said the beach has been a dumping ground for hazardous waste emanating from chemical industries and sewage water waste for many years.
ICYMI:Â Cuttings Beach filth infuriates fishermen
When D’Sa and his team headed to the beach to investigate, they found a strong chemical smell emanating from the canal’s dark flowing water. “A pollution control officer from the Southern Sewerage Works took water samples to run tests. We are awaiting the results. It is clear industrial waste was improperly disposed of at Cuttings Beach which can have serious impacts on humans as the beaches have not been closed off for public use. Some of the illnesses that could results include meningitis, typhoid fever, gastroenteritis, dysentery, cholera and diarrhoea,” he said.
READ:Â Sewage, chemicals close Cuttings Beach
His main concern is for beachgoers, especially fishermen and bathers, as despite the pollution, the beaches are still open for their use. “Lives are not considered and people are still being allowed to access these beaches when there are dangers to their health. Industrial waste can be very harmful as it enters the water and kills the fish and other marine life. We have seen this in 2007, when thousands of fish were killed along with other marine life. In the last few years Durban’s beaches have lost their Blue Flag status because of the high levels of pollution,” he said.
He urged the city to look into this matter seriously and come up with a solution to protect local beaches and punish those who have violated bylaws which are supposed to protect the beaches.
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