Last month, videos showing hundreds or possibly even thousands of dead fish floating in the Umgeni River highlighted the extent of pollution in one of the province’s most important rivers.
Having witnessed the wanton dumping of waste nearby and into in the river, Durban-based business Reefer Cold Storage has spearheaded a private-public-NPO river clean-up last week to mark World Clean-up and International Coastal Clean-Up Day which was on Saturday, 17 September.
The 232-kilometre Umgeni River, which rises in the KZN Midlands and extends to Durban, is a critical water source for the region.
Used for various recreational activities, including the annual Dusi Canoe Marathon, the Umgeni River is the lifeblood of the city. For many residents, subsistence fishing and drinking water sourced from the river are vital for daily living, however, the current water health poses a threat to life rather than supporting it.
Sewage pollution, made worse, as a result of the April floods has pushed E.coli levels to a hazardous range, prompting the closure of 13 swimming beaches again last month. This is only exacerbated by the constant illegal dumping and excessive waste that finds its way into the water source, disrupting the local ecosystem and posing a threat to the health of wildlife and humans.
Concerned about the state of the river, Reefer Cold Storage got in touch with Janet Simpkins from the non-profit organisation (NPO), Adopt a River. Together, they’ve brought on board eThekwini Municipality and other stakeholders, including BMS Foods (Bluff Meat Supply), Multiquip and AlcoNCP to address the existing waste, restore the land and put in place measures to prevent further dumping.
“Every river is important, this interconnected network of water is vital for the survival of various ecosystems, water source to many communities and in some catchments supplying water to dams for potable water use. The uMngeni River is no exception. Sadly, many of these waterways are contaminated with not only solid waste, but sewage too. The uMngeni suffers both. It is our responsibility to continue to highlight these factors and do what we can in terms of cleans ups, education campaigns and tracking sewage in the hopes that funding will become available to fix broken infrastructure and stop these spills,” said Simpkins.
Stamatis ‘kapsi’ Kapsimalis, CEO and owner of Reefer Cold Storage, said inroads were already being made: “The clean-up this week has been an eye-opening experience, having to come to terms with the level of pollution in the Umgeni River. But it’s also been incredibly rewarding witnessing the positive impact we can make when we all come together for a common goal. I’d like to extend our thanks to all the stakeholders who’ve committed to improving the health of the Umgeni River, not just for now but in the long run. This is a moment of change for environmental conservation, because it really is now or never.”
The river clean-up campaign’s initial short-term goal was the week-long clean-up of the riverside area between Connaught Bridge and the footbridge along Willowfield Road of waste and alien invasives. This has now been extended by a week due to the volume of waste found on site. The plan is to take this further by establishing a permanent team to conserve and maintain the area as an ecologically friendly environment, while creating awareness about the dangers of environmental pollution.
Communities and businesses are encouraged to monitor and report on any challenges, such as illegal dumping so that measures can be taken. Reports can be made to Durban Solid Waste on 031-311-8804/36 or DSW@durban.gov.za or walk-in complaints made at 17 Electron Road, Springfield.
