Residents in parts of Durban South are calling for urgent action after a chemical odour reportedly left people experiencing coughing, breathing difficulties and vomiting.
The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance says the incident affected residents in Osterville, Merebank, Battlefields and surrounding areas near Jacobs last week.
Alliance spokesperson Desmond D’Sa says several residents, including children, became ill following the odour incident, with some requiring medical attention.
D’Sa says the incident is the second of its kind in the area in recent months, raising concerns about the potential impact on the health of nearby communities.
Air samples have since been collected, with residents awaiting the results.
D’Sa is calling for greater accountability and wants health authorities to explain what action has been taken following the incident.
He says the alliance has also escalated the matter to provincial and national government, calling for further investigation if local authorities fail to adequately address the concerns.
Meanwhile, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba says the city is investigating the source of the odour.
Teams have been deployed to determine whether any environmental laws were breached, with Xaba saying those found responsible will face consequences.
The latest incident has also renewed concerns about odours affecting communities elsewhere in KwaZulu-Natal.
Earlier this year, uMngeni-uThukela Water acknowledged problems at the Darvill Wastewater Treatment Works in Pietermaritzburg, where an unpleasant odour was reported in Sobantu.
The utility attributed the smell to failures in the plant’s primary treatment and sludge digestion processes, which affected its ability to properly treat and stabilise sludge.
It said poor-quality sludge was being discharged onto sludge lands, resulting in the strong odour experienced by residents.
uMngeni-uThukela Water said measures were being implemented to reduce the smell while repairs to affected equipment and processes were underway.
The utility also apologised to the Sobantu community for the discomfort caused by the odour.