Every year it is the same scenario – the first heavy winter rains fall, bringing along it’s fair share of problems.
And this was exactly the case this week when the first very heavy downpours of the season started.
Again many homes had water running through them with roads also turning into rivers.
There are various reasons for this.
But one thing is certain, the tendency of littering very much compounds this problem.
The valley in many areas has become a sea of waste with people relentlessly dumping rubbish of all sorts along roads and in water spill-off areas.
Then when the rains come the litter washes down drains, blocking the natural flow of water and then causing flooding.
Another proof of littering is to see what the Berg River looks like in many areas, such as a photograph in Paarl Post shows this week.
The amount of rubbish being dumped by residents in our valley is an absolute disgrace to say the least. And it is not only those who illegally dump their rubbish along the side of the road who are to blame, but people who just casually toss a cold drink bottle or plastic wrapper out of their car windows.
An important lesson and habit which parents should be teaching their children from a very early age should be not to litter.
Perhaps this could be the start of a generation who will be less wasteful than their forefathers.
