Endeavours to keep river clean, curb illegal dumping celebrated

THE collaborative efforts of Adopt a River Eco Solutions, Unitrans and the eThekwini Municipality to address the daily issues plaguing the Umhlatuzana Canal and its surrounding banks, in Archary Road, Clairwood, were recently celebrated.

Edme Brink, Unitrans marketing manager, said that since the inception of the partnership between the stakeholders, their dedicated on-site team has been diligently removing waste on a daily basis for the past 10 months.

Also read: WATCH: Resident turns dumping hotspot into community garden

“This included cleaning the river whenever the flow allows, as well as tidying up the banks. Notably, the bank area in front of the Unitrans Clairwood Depot has been transformed into a clean and neat space.

“More recently, the municipality has become a part of our collective endeavour, lending their support to tackle the ongoing challenges related to illegal dumping and vehicles entering the canal,” she said.

Brink said they took the opportunity to commemorate the hard work of their on-the-ground team and the successful partnership they share with Adopt a River, a non-profit organisation, and the municipality.

“Our hope is that this undertaking serves as a source of inspiration for other businesses and individuals, especially in the Clairwood area. By demonstrating the impact of collaborative action, we aim to encourage everyone to play a role in maintaining the cleanliness of our rivers.

“At Unitrans, we firmly believe in the transformative ‘power of doing,’ especially when joining hands with like-minded organisations and individuals,” she said.

Liesl de Wet, Unitrans head of Accelerated Organisational Sustainability, added, “Clean rivers in South Africa play a significant role in sustaining economic activities and fostering a positive business environment. Unitrans is committed to continuously evaluating and improving our long-term sustainability in terms of the environment, social commitment and corporate governance to the benefit of shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees and communities.”

Janet Simpkins, Adopt a River Eco Solutions director, said, “This project has been months and months in the making, and it is amazing to see what has been accomplished. It is a dream come true. We have been working hard in the Clairwood area over the last few months, and this is a culmination of our efforts.

“We would like to thank Unitrans for believing in us as we have established a river team together and made valuable connections with local partners and municipal departments, including ITRUMP ABM, DSW, as well as roads and stormwater. Everyone came together today to tackle the scourge of illegal dumping and to restore the riverbank.

“We also planted two trees and indigenous grass, as well as installed barriers using tyres which we painted and then planted indigenous plants inside. There were also boulders placed to block access to the canal to prevent illegal dumping. We have big plans for river rehabilitation, too. We are really proud to, once again, partner for change and showcase what’s possible when we all work together,” she said.

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