The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) remains mum on whether the maintenance of stormwater drains in and around Bedfordview had been conducted.
On August 24, ward 20 councillor, Clr Jill Humpreys, wrote to the EMM’s Water and Sanitation department regarding the maintenance of stormwater drains.
On October 23, Clr Humphreys told the NEWS she was concerned that should rains fall, the area would be flooded.
“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. Our stormwater drains are inadequate and unmaintained. They cannot handle heavy amounts of water,” she wrote in her letter to the EMM.
When heavy rains fell on November 9, highways in the vicinity of Gillooly’s Interchange were flooded.
EMM mayoral spokesperson, Mr Zweli Dlamini, said Bedfordview and Edenvale were some of the worst-hit areas by the storm.
Mr Roy Cadilhe’s said he was shocked when flash floods wrecked havoc through his Bedfordview home on Grobler Road.
Clr Humphreys said Mr Cadilhe’s wall was knocked down when water from the neighbouring Pine Road made its way downhill.
“Pine [Road], like many other streets, does not have enough drainage, hence when the rains came down, the whole of Pine Road’s water landed in this man’s yard,” said Clr Humphreys.
In Senderwood, residents at a complex spent Thursday morning cleaning up after their homes were flooded.
Bedfordview Community Police Forum (BCPF) official, Mr Tyrone Clark, was also among the affected residents.
“My car was floating while parked in the garage. All the airbags were deployed and everything that was in the boot was soaking wet including laptops,” said Mr Clark.
Mr Dlamini said a woman was killed when a truck plunged into stationery vehicles at the Linksfield interchange, the same area where the body of a man was found by emergency services when rescuing trapped motorists.
On November 2, the NEWS requested comment from the EMM as to whether stormwater drains had been maintained and if there were plans in place to address any flash floods should the need arise.
No comment was received at the time of going to press.
- The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) said it had put together a team of engineers who will be inspecting its network in Gauteng urgently to check for damage following the flash flood.
- The agency will appoint independent, reputable and registered professional engineers with extensive experience in floods and storm water systems to investigate the extreme flooding, and to advise on any remedial actions.
- Sanral said the blocking of storm water pipes, culverts and bridges by homeless people is also increasingly becoming a problem.
