Flood plain is
being transformed
By Samkelo Gqeba
02 October 2008
WORK has begun on the transformation of the river embankment on the Duncan Village floodplain, which will soon be a clean and attractive place of which residents can be proud.
Used as an illegal dumping ground in the past, the City is busy cleaning up the area.
At a cost of R1-million, funded by the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands, the aim of the project is to create a conducive and habitable environment for people living along the river embankment.
On Monday 29, September, officials from the City departments of development co-operation, engineering services, and solid waste management toured the area to check on progress; the project began a fortnight ago.
City officials discuss the plan to improve the area.
Darby Gounden, the City’s manager of development co-operation and international relations, said the flood plain project was an initiative of the Buffalo City-Leiden twinning agreement.
“[It] is part of programmes initiated by the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands, which focus on HIV/Aids, waste management and storm water. It is being implemented by the community services department.”
Work began with the clearing of bushes and litter; this will be followed by stabilising the river embankment.
“After completion, the area will be turned in a recreation place that will include a park and sports field,” she said.
Talking about the immediate spins-offs for local people, Gounden said they had temporary jobs cleaning up the litter and removing bushes along the embankment.
“The City’s human resource department, through its unemployed database, has selected local people who are going to clean up the area for a period of two weeks.”
Nosi Skweyiya, the assistant manager of the City’s waste management unit, said that to ensure the area was kept clean, her section would conduct clean-up awareness campaigns to encourage people to stop littering.
“We will organise awareness campaigns to encourage residents use the waste drop off posts that we have set up for them in their areas.”
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