OTTAWA RESIDENTS TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING AT THE COMMUNITY HALL ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 8 TO PROTEST AGAINST THE DEGENERATION OF THEIR RESIDENTIAL AREA

The residents of Ottawa, near Verulam on the North Coast, are fed up with the continuing degeneration of their residential area despite repeated representations to the Ethekwini municipality. In order to speed up the regeneration of the residential area, the residents will hold a public meeting at the Ottawa Community Hall on Wednesday, March 8 at 6pm. The contact person for the meeting is Ms Andisha Maharaj of the Ottawa Environmental Forum. The residents are concerned about the filth, litter and garbage that engulfs the main road running through the town and in the complex of a busy shopping centre on the main road.

The degeneration, degradation and destruction of this historical village are aggravated by the motor scrap yards, panel beating shops, truck depots, and huge trucks that engulf the main road and the residential areas. The trucks and huge vehicles flout all regulations and drive through the residential roads, especially Munn-Riverview roads, Maharaj Road and Kissoon Road. The illegal trucking businesses, panel-beating shops and motor scrap yards operate in the residential areas in clear disregard of all regulations and by-laws. The residents and ratepayers have repeatedly brought this degeneration and destruction to the attention of the Ethekwini municipality over the past few years. Despite pleas, the municipality has done very little to stop the degeneration. This disregard is demonstrated by the failure of the authorities to take action against a huge tanker warehouse built at the far end of Riverview Road in full indifference of all the local by-laws and regulations.

There are also a number of trucks parked in several residences and on one plot in Riverview Road. These trucks are driven at regular intervals on the residential roads and they lead to the destruction of the tarred roads and electricity poles. The filth and litter is aggravated by the failure of all concerned to clean up the main roads and around business centres on the main road. What a tragedy! They contribute nothing to the upliftment and care of the environment in which they operate. The municipality also has done nothing about the destruction of the Ohlange River near the Ottawa bridge. Truckers and others dump sand and rubbish into this river without any concern for the environment. There’s also one shark who has dumped sand onto the river near the bridge, reclaimed a part of river and built a huge building on the site. He runs an animal business there. This river at one time provided clean water and all kinds of fish for the residents. Now all this has been destroyed. The residents in a meeting with municipal officials recently have asked for concrete bins to be placed on the main road. This request we have been informed has been submitted to the department concerned. But no positive development has taken place yet.