The eThekwini Municipality says it is closely monitoring the impact of the flood damage on the UPL Pollution Control Dam at the Cornubia site in Durban.
Contaminated water at the dam has apparently overflowed into the Ohlanga tributary due to the torrential rains.
The water was being controlled from spilling into other rivers by the dam after the UPL warehouse was set alight during the looting and violence last July.
Authorities say they are still trying to investigate whether there is a leak in pipes near the dam.
In a statement, the municipality says attempts to reduce the amount of rainwater entering the UPL Pollution Control Dam are being implemented. It says water samples have been taken to establish the levels of pollutants that have overflown into the Ohlanga tributary.
The public is urged to refrain from entering the Ohlanga as well as the exclusion zone and South of the uMhlanga river mouth. The public is also reminded that the ban on fishing or collection of mussels and oysters from the uThongathi Estuary to Eastmoor Beach Access remains prohibited.
State of Disaster
KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a State of Disaster area. Visiting the province on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the declaration is currently in the process of being gazetted.
Ramaphosa says the government is coordinating its response to the massive damage and losses caused by the floods.
He has assured residents in KwaZulu-Natal affected by the damage caused by heavy rains the that government will assist those affected.
“What is painful is that a lot of people have died. Their homes have been destroyed, streets, towns, and this church has been destroyed. So, we said let’s go to the areas to see the damage ourselves in order to see how government can help.”
In a statement, the KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance ministry has confirmed 259 deaths due to heavy rains.
