illegal dumping A woman fetches water from a communal tap at Ekuphumleni in Dunoon. The area is swamped in dirt. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE
Image: BHEKI RADEBE
Washing Residents in Dunoon doing their washing using communal taps next to public toilets. Most of the water flows down the road passing the Dunoon library. This dirty water has created a bad smell in the area. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE
Image: BHEKI RADEBE
pollution As you approach the state of the art library in Dunoon, you are welcomed by stink of dirty water flowing down the road. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE
Image: BHEKI RADEBE
Waste Waste slides into the old quarry. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE
Image: BHEKI RADEBE
Dumping Illegal dumping in Dunoon is a common sight. Even old furniture has been dumped in front of Inkwenkwezi High School. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE
Image: BHEKI RADEBE
Dumping continues to be a massive problem in Dunoon with piles of rubbish threatening the health and safety of residents.
In September last year, Tabletalk reported that the City was piloting a six-month project to up refuse removal in the area from once to three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as a way to curb rife illegal dumping there.
The City of Cape Town said details of the outcome of the project are not yet available.
Acting councillor for Ward 104, Thando Dedezana invited Tabletalk for a walkabout of the area to see issues residents are facing.
He said in January he had arranged another walkabout with members of the various departments under the City of Cape Town, including Health and Solid Waste as well as community leaders in Dunoon.
“The reason for that walkabout was to take a deep dive into the daily problems this community faces in terms of cleanliness and solid waste,” said Mr Dedezana.
“I've been saying to these departments that Dunoon should maybe declared a health disaster site. There is a dam that I showed them that was a quarry many years ago. The stench that comes out of there is unbearable,” said Mr Dedezana.
He said there is a belief that there are human bodies dumped in the water.
He said the other situation in Dunoon is that there are not enough skips for waste. He estimated that the containers are approximately a kilometer apart from each other, which makes life difficult for people living in between. He added that blocked drains are another problem in Dunoon.
The City of Cape Town said residents in informal settlements are issued with high-quality refuse bags to contain refuse. There is a door-to-door collection of full refuse bags by a contractor weekly.
On the issue of drains, the City's Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien said the site of concern near the library was inspected on Friday March 7 and there were no blockages.
With regards to the maintenance of the quarry, the City said it belongs to the national Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
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