Two years to clear hyacinth

Metro has appointed a new contractor who is responsible for the removal of the hyacinths at the Dersley Dam.

Removal of the plants started on September 13.

Sikhonyane Lerotholi from the metro’s environmental department says it is a beautiful plant but becomes a pest when it is allowed to multiply.

On Thursday he visited the dam and told Ward Clr Ramesh Sheodin about the new two-year contract.

“Once clean we should never allow the plant to grow to this extent again,” says Lerotholi.

Sheodin is impressed the metro is finally a taking a stance against the hyacinth problem.

He claims one plant multiplies by 400 per month.

“The more time the plant has to multiply, the bigger the problem will become,” he says.

In a statement received from the metro in July, metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe stated they had dealt with the hyacinth problem at the dam.

But upon further investigation, it was found the plants were still covering the dam after a two-month contract with the previous contractor had expired.

In May, a contractor was seen removing the hyacinth plaguing the dam.

The dredge machine operator, Tommy Dean, informed the Addie they were only given a two-month contract with the metro but they doubted they could remove the plants within this period.

Dersley resident Marie Buchner says they all knew the plants would grow back quicker than they had been removed by the previous contractor.

“Why the metro wasted time and money on a two-month contract is beyond my understanding,” she says.