AUTHOR Bennitt Bartl, Rekord Centurion - 14 Oct 2019
A further 170 bags of garbage were removed by Centurion residents from the choking Hennops river in the past week.
A further 170 bags of garbage were removed by Centurion residents from the choking Hennops river in the past week.
The clean-up is part of ongoing effort to clear a weir beneath the Hendrik Verwoerd Drive bridge in the Centurion CBD.
“Our focus has been on the weir, which is the only litter trap on the Hennops river at this moment,” said organiser and river activist Gareth Hansen.
“Last Thursday, residents removed 150 bags of garbage from the river and a further 20 bags at the weekend.
“We also removed much of the hyacinth which has clogged up the river and the litter trap.”
Hansen said residents’ efforts were already paying off as the river was flowing.
“There has been a noticeable increase in the flow rate of the river,” he said.
“The water looks clearer and more importantly the smell has become a lot better.
“The businesses in the area will definitely benefit from this.”
Hansen echoed the concerns of other activists in the area that the weir was at risk of being stolen.
“The weir is the only one of its kind on this river,” he said.
READ MORE: Black sludge in canal near Hennops shocks
“It, together with the dam wall, is an engineering feat. It would be such a pity if it were to be stolen.”
Hansen also responded to many who say efforts were futile because the garbage was coming from further upstream.
“Not all the litter comes from further up the river,” he said.
“The river is filled with garbage and we are all to blame.”
Hansen encouraged everyone to get involved in clearing up the river and getting rid of the litter.
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