Heavy rains cause stink at Cuttings

FISHERMEN and residents are concerned about the future of the popular Cuttings Beach, south of Durban, after a suspected sewage spillage at the weekend.

On Saturday eThekwini Municipality advised that swimming and fishing were not allowed at the north and south of the Umlazi Canal.

While initial reports said the beach had been closed due to the spill, Msawakhe Mayisela, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, said Cuttings had been closed since September last year due to the tie-in of the new beach section of the sea outfall pipeline.

“The signs for the beach closure were in place but … were removed … Hence, the advisory was issued to warn residents on Saturday.”

He said the incident was a result of the bypass of effluent, due to heavy rains, which could not be contained in all three tanks within the works.

“This is a normal practice as it is allowed by the Coastal Waters Discharge Permit (CWDP) … the effluent is discharged straight to the sea via a sea outfall pipeline. If there is an overspill due to heavy rains in the process, authorities, the public and our pollution team engage on the management plan to mitigate the overspill,” said Mayisela.

Rishi Ganas, the chairperson of the Cuttings Fishing Forum, a non-profit organisation, said they were concerned about the long-term impact of the spillage.

The 53-year-old Merebank resident said: “My grandfather and father, as well other family members, have been fishing at Cuttings for decades. But if the ocean continues to be polluted, this tradition may end soon. There may not be any fish left due to the toxic waste being spewed into the ocean.

“Sadly, this is an ongoing issue for years now. There need to be some longterm solutions implemented to stop these spillages from happening.

Raven Naidoo, an executive member of the Merebank Residents’ Association, said they had been in contact with the city’s wastewater treatment works department over the sewage issue as the spillages also affected other beachgoers.