Durban- Transet National Ports Authority’s provisional lifting of the ban on diving and fishing in Durban harbour brings no relief to the fishing community and the public, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance said on Thursday.
The authority warned during its recent lifting of the ban that people should still exercise caution before making contact with port water.
Yesterday, Siraj Paruk, the Port of Durban environmental specialist,
said water quality in parts of the port, particularly in areas closer to major storm water outfalls, remained compromised.
This, he said, was because of the sewerage from the central business district which spills into the port from time to time.
Paruk said their analysis showed that the level of contamination had dropped substantially after the problem at the pump station was fixed.
“We continued monitoring the water condition and we noticed some minor outflows (spills) from the sewage reticulation network around the city. This is not new and whenever we pick up a leak, we report to the city,” he said.
The Ports Authority suspended diving and fishing last month, following a “severe sewage discharge” due to the failure of pumps at eThekwini Municipality’s Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station.
The alliance’s Desmond D’Sa said lifting the ban brought no relief to port users.
“No assurances are given about the state of water in the port.
“The city must provide a budget for all sewerage pipes to be replaced and the sewage to be treated before discharging into the ocean and harbour when that happens. Lifting the ban is not a good idea."
“They (Transnet and municipality) should be communicating to all sectors of the public and assemble an emergency crew of experienced labour to immediately deal with the crisis which has engulfed the harbour and most of the south and central beaches,” he said.
D’Sa said certain fish species were disappearing and many anglers, “who eke out” a living from fishing, were finding themselves joining the poverty line as they bore the brunt.
The Daily News reported yesterday that various parts of Merebank and ward 30 in Westville, near Berea
West, were experiencing continuous sewer leaks.
Area councillors Aubery Snyman and Warren Burne said they had reported the leaks to city officials, but no repairs had been done.
Snyman said the problem pre-dated the flooding from April’s heavy rains which exacerbated the problem.
Philemon Mashoko, deputy city manager for trade and services (which incorporates water and sanitation), referred the Daily News to the city’s communication unit.
The unit had not responded to emailed questions by the time of publication.