Gantsi residents cry foul over stench from WUC ponds
Leinanyana Tsiane | Wednesday July 23, 2014 11:33
When Mmegi visited the ponds in the company of East/West Hanahai councillor Masweu Kaekane an overpowering stench and a swarm of flies greeted us.
The ponds overflowed with slimy green water and there were remnants of dried scum several metres away from the ponds. A peak into one of the ponds revealed a cow carcass that Kaekane said was stuck in mud at the bottom. He said he had engaged other councillors to assess the situation but his pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. “As you can see this is a bad situation. And you can just imagine what the people who live nearby go through. The smell is unbearable,” Kaekane said. He added that he had advocated for the pond to be moved to a different location away from residential areas.
“This is a drinking hole for animals from the nearby farms and these are the same animals that are killed and their meat sold to us. Is this good for our health?” he asked. He further said that the situation was worse when schools are open because there is a lot of usage of toilets and bathrooms/showers adding that even the hospital system flows to the same ponds. Fane Kolokose, a farm worker at Gukama Farm confirmed that the borehole at their farm is approximately 40 metres deep. He said there are some boreholes at neighbouring farms, which are only 14 metres deep noting that they fear the water is contaminated.
“We see wild game like kudu, gemsbok and warthogs flocking here daily to drink water,” he said. He pointed out that the situation worsens during the rainy season when water from the ponds overflows into the gravel road residents use. During the past rainy season they used a grader on the road because it was not accessible. “We couldn’t walk on the water as in normal circumstances.
The rain water was mixed with the water from the ponds so you can just imagine how terrible it was,” he said.
One of the residents who identified himself as Moses said they close their windows as early as 3pm in summer when temperatures are hot. “It’s like the pond breathes in the evening.
We are forced to close our windows and doors despite the heat inside our houses. We can’t cook let alone eat because of the smell,” he said. He noted that they are worried about their children’s health because the flies, which are attracted by the stench, carry germs.