Fire
Unfortunately the massive fire that recently swept Mountain Drive and further south was sufficiently intense to burn most of the vegetation to the ground, just two years after the previous fire.
Fire
Unfortunately the massive fire that recently swept Mountain Drive and further south was sufficiently intense to burn most of the vegetation to the ground, just two years after the previous fire.
Fires can occur naturally and may be beneficial, but not at this frequency. The natural cycle is usually every 15-20 years. This latest fire has roasted all the margins of the kloof forests which are getting smaller with the forest margin trees destroyed.
Grass then invades between the dead trees and the next fire burns into the forests further reducing the indigenous woodland. Flowering King Proteas that had just recovered from the July 2014 fire and rare cycads were also destroyed.
The cause of the fire is uncertain, though the night-time start and location points to the possibility that it may have been caused by a fallen Eskom high-voltage cable. Local farmers have been requesting that Eskom replace the fixtures that hold their cables in place and have experienced a number of incidents in recent times where cables have sagged and fallen.
On a brighter note, many alien invasive plants were also burnt, largely hakea, that thankfully had not yet set seed. Hakea, when ready to seed, can thrive after fire as the pods explode and the seed is carried up into the air by the heat of the fire.
Air
Good news; our air quality is very good. But we cannot afford to be complacent, as the toxic pollution from the landfill site could return. Despite a High Court Order since September last year, Makana Municipality is still failing to implement basic management or risk assessment at the site.
From site visits conducted in May and June this year, small fires were burning on each visit, pickers extracting metal wire from plastic coverings. The staff at the site are not equipped with any fire-fighting equipment or radio communications to call for assistance if a fire gets out of control.
Earth
Complete Compost at Strowan Road continues to increase production and you can help Grahamstown’s dumping problem by taking your garden waste directly there. There is also a good choice of small companies in Grahamstown ready to take your garden waste away for a small fee.
On the other hand there are firms, particularly some garden service firms that persist in illegal dumping. If you see loaded wheel barrows in the street, or suspicious dumping activity please note what you see, photograph if possible, and let someone know.
Recently, a firm named on Facebook for illegal dumping returned and removed their mess. If in doubt contact one of the people listed at the bottom of this article.
Water
For most months the Grahamstown statutory test results of drinking water are good, meaning that the water should be safe to drink.
Unfortunately the results aren’t 100 percent, meaning that out of the many tests one or two are below the required standard.
This leaves no choice but to advise everyone to BOIL TAP WATER BEFORE DRINKING as a precautionary measure. You can download Makana’s monthly drinking water test results at www.makana.gov.za/notice-board/water-results.
And finally, it seems that not everyone realises that Grahamstown has had quite a dry period over the last four or five months and that municipal water restrictions are in force. To conserve water the use of hose pipes is banned. Makana appeals to everyone to comply and for you to help spread this message.
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