LOVE HILTON URGES RESIDENTS TO CONSERVE WATER
Love Hilton is urging residents in Hilton to install rainwater tanks at their homes and to use this valuable natural resource sparingly.
Andrew Fowler, from Upland River Conservation, got in touch with the organisation to share an important message about water conservation and their river catchment projects.
“If you stand outside Ground Coffee in Hilton Avenue, you can see the source of the Mooi, the uMngeni and the uMkhomazi rivers,” he said. “We often take leisure time in the hills of these catchments, and we rely on the catchment’s water.”
Fowler said the possibility of a Day Zero water situation in Pietermaritzburg and Durban has long been predicted, adding that in an average year, dam levels are dropping.
“If we have a good year, like the last two, we can breathe a sigh of relief,” he added. “In a drought, we are in trouble, and all the more so as the population and development expand.
“It’s hard to imagine a drought scenario considering how wet Hilton is … but we are entering an El Nino cycle.
“We can mitigate a lot of this with rainwater tanks at our houses, using water sparingly etc.
“However, as we’ve seen in the situation with electricity, more needs to be done.”
It’s one of the reasons why Upland River Conservation was established.
This environmental organisation aims to quantify and execute real, on the ground, catchment remediation projects, that include community involvement, erosion control, grassland management, control of nutrient inflows and alien plant control.
It also aims to connect citizens to the catchment and guides people to value the catchment for its leisure opportunities and its sustenance supporting water.
In other news, Love Hilton has revealed it is partnering with Gezubuso Projects to address some of the social needs in Hilton.
One of the focus areas of Love Hilton is to partner with initiatives that tie into local structures to better serve and support the community.
Gezubuso Projects is a non-profit, non-governmental aid organisation based in West Street, Pietermaritzburg.
They take care of over 40 orphaned and neglected children, across four children’s homes; undertake vocational training; run a community garden and nutrition upliftment project; and a pre-school.
If you are looking for a social worker, or a way to assist with social issues in Hilton, you can contact Gezubuso directly.
Meanwhile, Crossways has been given a bit of a lift by members of the Hilton Ratepayers’ Association and Love Hilton, who have erected a post and rail fence next to the walkway.
Before installing the new fence they cleared out six bakkie loads of booze bottles and rubbish that has been discarded.
“Cleaning and greening our public space, creating a better and safer environment for all is what it's about,” said Craig Millar, of Love Hilton. “Thanks Mike Tarr. You're a legend, giving your time on a lovely Saturday morning in service of your community.”
Another new initiative to beautify the village is a series of colourful bins, which have different and dazzling looks, delivered by the BoomTown crew.