Residents in Johannesburg woke up to a nasty stench in the air on Wednesday and the reasons for it were unknown.
Speaking to Sunday World, MMC for environment and infrastructure services Michael Sun said the municipality is aware of the bad air quality that has enveloped the city.
“We are aware of the stench, but we do not know where it is coming from, we can only assume that it is chemicals. I am currently engaging with a team from the Department of Environmental Affairs to investigate the cause. As soon as we get the answers, we will update the residents,” said Sun.
But the Gauteng weather service said on its Twitter page that the “big stink” was due to winds blowing in from Mpumalanga and added that this is expected to last until Saturday.
⚠️ ALERT: BIG STINK RETURNS TO GAUTENG DUE TO WINDS BLOWING IN FROM MPUMALANGA!!! UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS UNTIL SATURDAY!!!
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) June 8, 2022
The terrible state of the city’s air is not a new occurrence. The city experienced a terrible stench that raised several health risk concerns in 2021. A week went by with the same smell.
The World Health Organisation reports that air pollution killed about 20 000 South Africans in 2013. Tshwane and Johannesburg have been identified as the cities that have the most air polluted areas.
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