Durban - The Msunduzi Municipality teamed up with Eskom in a quest to curb the illegal dumping in the city of Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.
The municipality said it worked with Eskom towards a common goal, to restore the city’s cleanliness and to sound the alarm about the dangers of illegal dumping as well as the health hazard resulting from it.
“The municipality and Eskom embarked on a clean-up campaign in Thornville which also coincided with 22 March being World Water Day. The campaign did not only serve the purpose of cleaning up this area, but it went as far as acknowledging the importance of improving the environment.
“Members of the local South African Police Service (SAPS) did not miss out on the opportunity to engage in an exercise meant for a good cause as they shared insight on environmental issues, including illegal dumping. The group further planted indigenous trees during the clean up campaign,” read the statement.
The municipality said following an in-depth discussion on what could be done to ensure that the clean-up does not remain a one-day activity and there is consistency in raising awareness about the effects of illegal dumping, the municipality and Eskom came up with these suggestions:
- Co-ordinate and do a waste management campaign that will involve all stakeholders, including Thornville SAPS, community, councillors, Msunduzi Municipality, Environmental Department, and local schools. The aim of this is to raise awareness about waste, its management, by-laws, and more importantly encourage the community to be involved in terms of guarding who comes and dumps waste there.
- Erect a v-shaped fence along the road, dump area and post illegal dumping signs to deter any person from dumping. This will also assist in terms of building a case should someone be caught.
The municipality, Eskom, and SAPS will continue to look for any offenders in Thornville.