According to the LEAP (local environment action plan) implementation plan for waste management, one of the goals set for the municipality almost 3 years ago was the elimination of illegal dumping in the district. A goal which has quite evidently not been achieved.
The first of the two sites we investigated was at an abandoned rubbish skip (a popular hangout for local livestock).
Amongst the various articles of household items and garden refuse, was partially incinerated medical waste. Other than a few bandages, empty pill blister packs and some cough syrup bottles, we didn’t find anything particularly dangerous. However, this waste has not been disposed of according to protocol which has to be followed by clinics and hospitals.
The other dump site was next to a primary school, a worrying factor in itself. Appropriately, this defaced sign serves as a welcome mat for would-be dumpers.
My first thought when walking through the dump was “free digs furniture!”. What used to be a washing machine, pieces of a toilet and a number of wooden planks and shelves, sporting vicious nails were scattered amongst empty alcohol bottles and shards of glass. Not the ideal playground for little kids.
Now that we’ve ascertained that illegal dumping is indeed a problem in Grahamstown, we aim to investigate why this is so and what has been done to address the issue. Watch this space for our completed television news story, as well as a public service announcement aimed at creating awareness about illegal dumping.
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