Residents, business owners live in fear of heavy rains

• Last year, large parts of Bedfordview and Edenvale were left devastated by flash floods.

• In June this year that the Johannesburg High Court had ruled in favour of Fluid Power, and ordered EMM to repair the spruit near the business’s property.

• As a result of the floods, Eastleigh was declared a disaster area by the Gauteng Provincial Government on December 1.

Bedfordview and Edenvale residents still live in fear that history will repeat itself should the area be hit by heavy rains.

Yesterday, October 9, just one month shy of the one-year anniversary of the devastating floods, the area was hit by heavy rains once again.

The impact of this latest storm was not as far-reaching for Edenvale and Bedfordview communities as the storm of November 9.

Last week concerns were raised that inadequate maintenance of stormwater systems in Bedfordview will result in flooding.

Last year, large parts of Bedfordview and Edenvale were left devastated by flash floods.

Also read: FLASH FLOODS: Bedfordview worst hit

Much of the damage caused was determined to be a direct result of unmaintained stormwater systems.

The Johannesburg High Court has for the second time ruled against the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) for not maintaining the Eastleigh Spruit.

The court ruled in favour of Eastleigh businesses, Propshaft Master and Wieland SA, on September 20.

The NEWS reported in June this year that the Johannesburg High Court had ruled in favour of Central Avenue business, Fluid Power, and ordered EMM to repair the spruit near the business’s property.

Also read: VIDEOS: Thunderstorms bring Edenvale, Bedfordview traffic to a standstill

In its most recent ruling, the court ordered EMM to remediate the spruit near the premises of Propshaft Master and Wieland SA on Plantation Road.

The court ordered that “any and all steps necessary to rectify and rehabilitate the riverbed, river walls and any other measure necessary to prevent and mitigate any and all flooding to the properties [must be taken]”.

Propshaft Master and Wieland SA were both affected for several months due to the damage caused by the November 9 floods.

As with the ruling in favour of Fluid Power, the September Johannesburg High Court ruling ordered the metro to provide feedback to the two companies within seven days. No feedback was provided by metro.

“We cannot afford to go through another November 9. We need to get other businesses involved too,” said Johnny van der Merwe, managing director of Wieland SA.

Also read: LATEST: Residents concerned about flash flooding as rains fall

Tommy Bensch, managing director of Propshaft Master, said he has seen the spruit deteriorate over the last 22 years.

“I have never seen anyone [from the metro] working in the spruit. Cleaning and repairing the spruit will call for a long-term project,” said Bensch.

“If the municipality actually maintained its stormwater channels, such as cleaning, clearing, erosion control, silt traps, cleaning of litter, litter traps and attenuation ponds, the residents would not have to manage all these omissions on their own,” Ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys said.

In recent questions to officials, Humphreys referred to a judgment of the High Court handed down regarding the damage to factories in Edenvale due to the non-remediation of the Eastleigh Spruit.

Also read: MULTIMEDIA: Videos and Gallery from today’s #floods

Gauteng Provincial Government declared Eastleigh a disaster area on December 1.

“As our metro rubber-stamps densification, frequently in direct contradiction of its own policies, our infrastructure simply cannot keep up.

“Desperate and dedicated officials struggle and juggle daily to manage the impossible, their hopelessly under-resourced departments limping along, frequently not achieving ridiculously low KPIs,” said Humphreys.

Also read: #Floods Update: Eastleigh businesses face closure after flood damage

Road closed from Edenvale Cemetery at the c/o 17th Ave and Homestead Road #rain #traffic pic.twitter.com/GmpZmIPExG

— BedfordEdenvaleNews (@BedfordEdenvale) October 9, 2017

#AATrafficJHB Bedfordview HEAVY TRAFFIC on both routes towards Gilloolys Interchange due to FLOODING GILLOOLYS INTERCHANGE – Westbound

— MyAATraffic (@MyAATraffic) October 9, 2017

🌊FLOOD-PRONE AREAS:

Alexandra
Bedfordview
Benoni
Centurion
Edenvale
Fourways
Joburg central
Kempton Park
Soweto
N3, M1 & R23 highways

— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) October 9, 2017

Another view of the inadequate drainage on the N3 bear Bedfordview/ Gillooly's interchange. pic.twitter.com/pGpvIkzxnS

— Cliff – That's All (@PigSpotter) October 9, 2017

Chaos all drains overflowing on highway near bedfordview pic.twitter.com/Fu4jnPjblP

— Chris Snell (@ChrisSnell10) October 9, 2017

#JHBTraffic In Bedfordview there is flooding on the N3 South at the Gilloolys Interchange – All lanes closed pic.twitter.com/w6d2q6sJDd

— EWN Traffic (@EWNTraffic) October 9, 2017

#AATrafficJHB Kempton Park CRASH near the Barbara Road exit – HEAVY TRAFFIC from Edenvale BARBARA ROAD – Eastbound

— MyAATraffic (@MyAATraffic) October 9, 2017

https://twitter.com/MillyLethule/status/917403136310022144

This is at Giloolies farm earlier. @CityofJoburgZA @chaifm @SAWeatherServic pic.twitter.com/2SOdisRxWJ

— Kathy Kaler (@KathyKaler) October 9, 2017

 

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