Oudtshoorn, 15 September 2021 – The Oudtshoorn Municipality, in conjunction with Cape Nature, invites all farmers next to the Olifants River, who want to remove reeds, to apply for a controlled burn permit at the Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services.
Farmers have to apply for a specific burn permit to start with the controlled burnings on the farms. Meanwhile, the Oudtshoorn municipality’s fire, rescue and disaster management will commence with an initiative to clean the river focusing on the removal of reeds outside specific areas on the farms.
This initiative, according to Adel Supra-Vertue, manager for fire, rescue and disaster management, will help the farmers with eliminating the reeds and minimise chances of fires moving to an unplanned place.
“We have meticulously planned how the clean-up will be done to also protect the lives of birds and any other animals before starting with the burnings.”
“The clean-up will also aid the removal of fuel within the river to avoid contamination of the water flowing into the river from unwanted fluid in the river. We believe that this coordinated approach to clean the river and controlled burning will prevent the constant nuisances’ burns we are getting at the moment in the river precinct,” Supra-Vertue added.