The eThekwini Municipality will spend R10 million to repair March 2025 storm-related damage at the Bisasar Road and Buffelsdraai landfill sites. 

The municipality stated that work has begun at Buffelsdraai, but none have yet begun at Bisasar Road in Clare Estate, where a contractor is being sourced by the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW).

In a report by CSW, it stated that infrastructure has been compromised and that these landfills are required by law to have waste disposal areas operated to prevent negative impacts such as odour, toxic leachate waters being formed from rainfall infiltration, and landfill gas migration, etc. 

The CSW stated that the repairs are considered critical due to the damage requiring urgent attention.

The sites sustained damage due to rapid runoff combined with saturated soils from the rains, leading to flash flooding at these landfill sites. This not only overwhelmed the infrastructure but also caused damage to leachate (toxic waste waters) systems, eroded access routes, and resulted in further harm to landfill and extraction pipework infrastructure.

The report stated that CSW engineers have conducted a due diligence assessment and classified the site as bordering on unsafe, requiring competent contractors to undertake the necessary safety work and mitigate further negative impacts. It also noted that site teams have exhausted internal options to improve areas with temporary fixes.

Other works will entail specialist works on leachate containment and landfill gas infrastructure, in which tenderers' attention to functionality will be needed.

The report stated that failure to conduct repairs will result in pollution to the environment and a reduction in the waste management service standard for the ratepayers.

Alicia Kissoon, eThekwini Ward 23 councillor, said residents surrounding Clare Estate raised concerns about the strong odours emanating from the Bisasar Road.

Following interventions from CSW, Kissoon said that the landfill gas system is operational, pipe repairs have been completed, and an internal toolbox talk was conducted to ensure that staff avoid the recently damaged area, especially during wet weather.

“The removal of standing uncovered waste and the backlog of waste cover caused by recent flood events is ongoing. The odour control spray system has been ramped up, and operational staff hours have been extended to ensure continued maintenance of control systems. I will continue to monitor the situation and maintain open lines of communication with the department to ensure further mitigation and accountability,” she said. 

At a recent council meeting, Sunitha Maharaj, Minority Front councillor, said the Bisasar Road landfill site should have been decommissioned and rehabilitated as it has surpassed its lifespan. 

“We support all measures to make landfill sites safe. It may or may not be common knowledge that this site poses serious environmental and health risks. Despite numerous requests from the affected community over the years to close the site, it remains open,” Maharaj said. 

*This Article was first published by IOL News