We’re choking on pollution and no one cares

Do something about the poor quality of the air we breathe, writes George N Gray from Ballito.

Did South Africa actually sign up to the reduction of CO2 and other polluting materials in the world’s atmosphere? So much for a clean air environment – there is no excuse for the debilitating foul air in Ballito, a major holiday resort, which almost certainly pays the vast majority of the property rates collected by Kwadukuza Municipali- ty and Ilembe District.

I suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as do several other people. I also know people with asthma and sinusitis, which gets considerably worse with the “smog”.

Two months ago in Scotland, with clean, fresh air, I had virtually no breathing problems. I return to Ballito and in two months I can hardly breathe.

There is no excuse for this pollution, which is due to various things like cane burning. The factories can strip the rubbish and pass it through their biomass plants to generate electricity.

The aircraft flying into King Shaka Airport drop exhaust fumes, and occasionally fuel, immediately above our heads.

The new diesel-fuelled Peak Load Power Station pumps diesel exhaust fumes into our already highly polluted environment.

Can CSIR provide an honest opinion of the extremely poor air quality in the Greater Ballito area and, possibly, do something about it?

Perhaps CSIR can assist if you can actually get somebody to answer their phones.