South Durban residents and environmentalists have campaigned for decades about the refineries and other big industries that they maintain are guilty of emitting dangerous pollutants into the air, causing respiratory and other ailments, especially among children.
It has now been confirmed that key senior staff have resigned from the department, leaving pollution levels unchecked for at least a year.
It was revealed at the provincial legislature yesterday that the stations used for monitoring air pollution were no longer functional since the resignation of senior staff.
The stations had provided critical data on chemicals released into the air to ensure they were within international, South African and World Health Organisation air-quality guidelines.
Ncumisa Mafunda, a media liaison officer at the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, said: “Early this year the head of that unit resigned. His two assistants followed suit about two months later. Read the full report here.
Source: by Arthi Sanpath, IOL.
