Concerns over KZN’s non-functioning air quality stations
The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal says the provincial government has failed residents by allowing all six of the province’s air quality monitoring stations to fall into disrepair.
According to a written parliamentary reply, the monitors located in pollution hotspots like Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, and Richards Bay, have not worked for over two years.
The Environmental Affairs Department says this is due to budget issues, broken equipment, and vandalism.
The DA says this puts people with health problems at greater risk because there’s no live data to warn them when air pollution gets worse.
Party spokesperson Hannah Lidgett says mobile monitoring units must be sent to pollution hotspots urgently.
" We are quite concerned that there doesn't seem to be any real and earnest application to fixing our air quality monitoring systems. Of the six, only three have been budgeted for in this financial year, with the balance of the three in the next financial year, and then new monitoring stations only budgeted for between 2026 and 2029.
“So, there are three communities that will only likely have those air quality monitoring stations up and running in the next two years. Now, what do we do with the poor air quality and the impact it has on communities in the interim?”
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
MORE ON ECR
