The alarming rate of pollution and sewer leakages into the Durban Harbour and ocean may spell a catastrophic end to the city’s internationally renowned blue-flag beaches.
Concerned citizen and founder of the ‘Save Durban Harbour’ movement, Rynhard du Plessis, in a recent Facebook post to a group of the same name, highlighted the shocking state of Grunter Gully strewn with raw sewage. “Upstream, there is a plant that pumps the sewage from the Berea and Umbilo areas that’s same level as sea level but with loadshedding and lack of maintenance of these pumps, they often stop working, causing the sewage tanks to then overflow,” explained du Plessis. According to Ward 32 councillor, Sharmaine Sewshanker, the matter has been an ongoing issue since the beginning of the year. “From the beginning of the year, we found major sewer blockages in the harbour area where raw sewage was flowing into the harbour affecting tourism, the ecosystem and businesses. We have done various engagements with stakeholders who pitted the blame for the situation against each other.” “We have also found that most of the stormwater drains were flowing into the harbour carrying debris from the city because the city was not being cleaned,” added Sewshanker.
According to Sewshanker, due to the areas around the Victoria Embankment, Albert Park, and the city centre’s inefficient cleaning, the rubbish finds itself in the stormwater drains and in the harbour after heavy rains. “We found that the Yacht Club around Wilson’s Wharf, companies that offer lessons to kids to become skippers, their businesses is dwindling. The docks in the area situated by the harbour edge have a wire mesh because of the refuse, those wire meshes were totally rusted and broken and did not form a filter between the city and the harbour.” MP Hannah Winkler, who is also part of the tourism portfolio committee, along with Sewshanker, recently visited Grunter Gully and Wilson’s Wharf to survey the issue, and said that they will be driving a petition to put pressure on the municipality and other levels of government to intervene in order to save Durban’s important tourism destinations.
“The petition will also include attention to Durban’s famous Golden Mile beaches, a recent sewage leak in Battery Bay, resulted in beach closure, not to mention the ongoing threat to the Blue Flag status of our famous beaches. We realise the catastrophic impact this will play on the environment, our economy and indigenous fishermen.” EThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said the municipality currently has a team winching the trunk sewer in Victoria Embankment, trying to find the source of the reported contamination. “We have checked and there is no pump station in the area not working that would flow into Grunter Gulley. We are also looking for blocked sewers in the area. We will issue an update once we have found the source,” added Mayisela.
