Durban — Area councillor Anoop Rampersad said the government had forgotten about the people of Welbedacht East living with overflowing manholes.
“We are always talking about it, but here the people face the reality that they have been forgotten. They keep giving me reference numbers every time I phone with a complaint.
“Now, how does a reference number repair the problem on the ground? If you phone the next day or two days after you get a new reference number. They just can’t get that system right.”
Rampersad said that another concern arising from the issue was the effect on the environment.
“We have sewage going into the streams and the streams link up with the uMlazi River. Now this river is flowing directly into the ocean with this sewage. I’ve written a number of emails with no response, and I am tired of these reference numbers.”
He said that he believed that the reference numbers were issued to keep residents quiet.
“Weeks have turned into months and they keep saying they don’t have pressure cleaners. How is this residents’ fault? It is your system that’s jammed and creates a smell, how do you expect poor people to live? Are they being ignored because they pay low rates, or are you saying you simply just don’t care about the people?” asked Rampersad.
He said what made the situation even more frustrating was that as a councillor, he had no answers for the community.
“On Friday at a community meeting, because I had no answers I had to show them the emails, show them the reference numbers, and they agreed with me that it was the municipality that was negligent in responding,” Rampersad said.
He explained that before the April flooding the problem existed, but on a small scale. However, it became worse after the floods.
“With river banks washed away and pipes damaged, both sewerage and fresh water, it has become a bigger problem. Some houses I have visited to ask them to stop, had connected a makeshift sewer pipe straight into the stream.”
Resident Nyameko Mde said that two manholes in particular were a problem.
“Children play in this unhealthy situation; there are children who use wheelchairs. We just ask. He said the manhole by the bus rank was overflowing on Welbedacht Road as well as another further up the road.”
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said it was incorrect to say the city had not attended to the situation.
“We do go there, only to find that when we turn our back we find ourselves back at square one. We have a challenge that there are alien objects that get into our system, which results in manholes overflowing or blocking.
“We are appealing to the public to assist us because it does not help us going back and forth trying to unblock, only to turn our backs and the situation returns. The public has a role to play.”
He said the issue was a challenge in the city where 70% of blocked manholes were the result of alien objects entering the system.
“So it’s human conduct, it’s not a natural disaster, it’s human beings who are responsible for these alien objects entering the system.
“We will assist as we do once something has been brought to our attention because it is not our policy that people must be exposed to raw sewage. The well-being of our residents has always been a priority.”
Daily News