February 7, 2006
By Anish Abraham
FOLLOWING the successful cleanup campaigns at Sandspruit in 2005, Johannesburg City Parks will be targeting the section of Braamfontein Spruit that runs through Region 3 on Saturday, 18 February.
Community members are encouraged to take part in the cleanup. It will take place at the Field and Study Recreation Centre in Parkmore, from 8am to 4pm.
"We are organising this in conjunction with Region 3, but local residents, councillors and members of the Braamfontein Spruit Forum will also be taking part," said Cebo Mhlongo, an aquatics specialist at City Parks.
The City agency conducts river and stream cleanup campaigns on a quarterly basis, and the Braamfontein Spruit will be the target of two such campaigns, focusing on different sections of the waterway.
"Community involvement is vital as we are cleaning up the area in which they live. We conduct these campaigns so they can see the work we do and also assist in keeping the area clean," he added.
Response from residents has usually been good, and 35 to 40 local community members pitched up for a cleanup campaign at Innesfree Park, just north of Sandton.
About 60 officials from the City, Region 3 and City Parks are expected at the cleanup, including some councillors who represent the affected area.
Bolstering their ranks will be a few members of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, who will deal with the vagrants who are living on the banks of the spruit.
"The main problem is domestic waste and bottles - caused mainly by the vagrants living there, but also from other upstream polluters," Mhlongo said.
City Parks' wardens, councillors and other officials would help with the cleanup until 3pm, though Region 3 had contracted a private service provider to help until 4pm, he said.
During International Clean-up Week in September, City Parks also gets learners from surrounding schools involved in its campaigns to ensure a cleaner, greener and healthier river system in the city.
The cleanup campaign starts at 8am, at the Field and Study Recreation Centre in Parkmore. For more information on the campaign, contact Cebo Mhlongo on 011 683 8234.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
