To mark World Cleanup Day on September 17, the Qinira estuary management forum (QEMF) invited the community to join its efforts to clear areas of concern in Bonza Bay of litter, including the weir and pump station, among others.
The forum was established earlier this year to address increasing pollutants running into the Qinira river as a result of blocked sewerage pumps and litter.
Municipal workers say the sewerage pumps become blocked for a number of reasons, including cable theft.
Residents are concerned about the chronic dumping close to the river, the unabated growth of alien species and the misuse of the area as a track for motorcross activity that erodes topsoil.
Joined by a few residents, the forum’s members spent the day collecting litter in hotspots.
Dr Emma Wynne and her family were among those who joined in.
The Wynnes and other families pay a small portion towards Qinera river maintenance efforts that involve regularly checking the sewerage line for spills.
She said her family had lived close to the river for eight years, an area which was rich in biodiversity, however, in recent years, it had become polluted with litter and sewage.
“It’s not just the responsibility of the municipality because the rubbish we see here today is rubbish that comes from homes. People have literally just dumped rubbish bags here.”
QEMF secretary, Stef Kriel, said: “People want to sit on their hands and complain about paying rates and taxes but that kind of attitude just makes us a victim of circumstance because the environment is everyone’s responsibility to protect.”
