Humphreys concerned about blocked stormwater drains

The ward 20 councillor, Clr Jill Humphreys, has appealed to the powers that be to address blocked stormwater drains in Bedfordview.
Clr Humphreys said she is worried the area might flood should heavy rains fall.
She said one of her main concerns was the drain outside the Bedfordview Methodist Church.
“The particular stormwater drain in the parking lot of the Bedfordview Methodist Church on Van Buuren Road has been reported as blocked for several months now. Should it rain we will have a serious mess on our hands. This needs to be fixed urgently,” said Clr Humphreys.
She has since written to Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) requesting a timeline as to when the drains would be fixed.
“The rainy season is upon us and every stormwater drain is blocked. In January this year the N3 was flooded during a flash storm; a large part of this was due to our stormwater system not functioning. Please don’t allow this to happen again,” she wrote in her letter to the EMM.
She said the water repair at the corner of Kloof and Van Buuren roads has left the stormwater drain completely excavated.
“The road and pavement are in a huge mess. This needs to be urgently replaced and repaired. It is a serious traffic hazard, besides being a mess,” said Clr Humphreys.
During last week’s rainfall, a resident who did not want to be named questioned when the stormwater drains would be fixed.
“Every time there is rain, we have to drive while fearing for our lives. Oriel is impossible to drive through and that is just one of the many in the suburb that don’t work,” said the resident.
The NEWS requested comment from EMM as to whether there were plans in place to address the alleged blockage of stormwater drains.
At the time of going to press, no comment had been received.