48 bags of trash collected along Kat River

GEORGE NEWS - With Heritage Day (Friday 24 September) and World Environmental Health Day (Sunday 26 September) in mind, Gardag (Garden Route Dam Action Group) held a Kat River clean-up action on Friday during which 48 bags of trash were collected.

The effort was supported by George Municipality and DA ward councillors as well as local candidate-ward councillors, including those from the Freedom Front Party. Buoyed by the help of local politicians and the support of local municipalities, there was a sense of elation when three bushbuck appeared and started feeding on the section of the river bank that had just been cleaned.

"This made us realise how fragile our fauna and flora is and how very dependent we all are on a healthy environment," said Desiree du Preez, Gardag chairperson..

She said it is a daunting task to galvanise the citizens of George into action and get all role players involved in rehabilitating local rivers, estuaries and dams.

The pressure of a burgeoning population has taken its toll. "The need for a wider awareness of conservation and working more sparingly with our scarce water resources has thus become more urgent than ever."

Friday's event was the first of a series of clean-up actions and rehabilitative steps to be organised by Gardag. "With these events, we also hope to bring home the integral connection between the environment, health, and the economy," said Du Preez.

The small committee of experts and volunteers of Gardag filled up 48 bags with trash collected from the Kat River within two hours.

As the capital of the Southern Cape, George must have a healthy environment to attract tourism and agricultural investors. However, the ongoing influx of semigrators (added to the 200 000 population) is putting the region's natural assets - estuaries, lakes, rivers and mountain reserves - under huge pressure.

Du Preez said protecting and cleaning up our severely degraded environment goes hand in hand with economic survival. "Those in charge of drawing up our budgets must remember with urgency that investing in a healthy and green economy is imperative."

Team Gardag: Troy Lewis, Pauline Lourens, Ken Gie, Desireé du Preez, Juan Barnard and Andries du Preez.

Ambitious project

The Kat River is a mere stream and one of two of the city's main water suppliers feeding into the Garden Route Dam. Holidaymakers are often blissfully unaware of George's water scarcity.

Gardag's independent and recent water-sampling survey highlighted the need for constantly reminding both local authorities and industrialists to clean up their act, as effluent and all kinds of toxic mixes all too often pollute our urban rivers.

As a result of urban pollution the Garden Route Dam is infested with Kariba weed. Citizens too have to be constantly reminded that every polluting habit will have long-lasting effects.

"Our anti-pollution campaign is extremely ambitious, but we do want our local children to be able to swim in their local rivers again," said Du Preez.

"We hope that one day holidaymakers may see the Blue Flag at our local beaches Victoria Bay, Herold's Bay and Wilderness, signalling a safe swimming area. But we still have a long and winding way to that mission. We can only succeed if all role players give their support."

The group who helped clean up along the Kat River. Photos: Pauline Lourens