Facility drowning in mounds of garbage
Once again, conditions at the Graaffreinet Waste Transfer Station have deteriorated to such an extent that a number of concerned residents have approached the Advertiser voicing their complaints.
There is litter and household waste everywhere at the site, and the rubbish is being blown into the national park. This is a most uninviting impression to give the many tourists travelling along the N9 this holiday season. People have also reported that fires are being lit there to burn the rubbish, causing smoke pollution.
The Advertiser has received many photographs of the dreadful conditions at the Waste Transfer Station, and the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality was asked last week for its plans to deal with this eyesore and health hazard.
According to a response received on last Thursday, 13 December, from Acting Communications Officer Wilca Smith, service providers have been appointed to clean up the area, and they started cleaning on Wednesday. Smith stated that work would continue for the next three days to clean the area, and in addition, casuals have also been appointed to do follow- up cleaning.
However, when the site was visited late on Friday morning, there seemed to be no improvement in the situation, with mounds of unsecured rubbish left to blow around. On what is probably the busiest weekend of the year for tourist traffic, motorists are treated to flying debris and litter alongside a national road and into the national park.
An urgent request was sent to the municipality for comment on this, as to whether the work did, in fact, take place, and if the relevant department had accepted the service provider’s standard of work. No response had been received by the time of going to press.