RESIDENTS living near the park in Davenport Avenue and Godfrey Avenue in Glenwood are shocked by the state of the park and surrounding lanes.
According to one resident, who contacted Berea Mail offering photos of the mess at the park, it has been in a state for the past three weeks.
Images showed building rubble, garbage as well as human faeces alongside the park and in Godfrey Avenue.
“What a beautiful place Glenwood is! A street meeting was called last Thursday where a lot of residents complained about the state of the area. The illegal dumping happens on an ongoing basis. Something needs to be done,” he said, adding that he had asked Umbilo CPF chair, Heather Rorick to pass the images and complaint on to relevant departments.
Another resident said the condition of the lane and park at the back of the properties in Esther Roberts Road between Helen Joseph and Clark Roads was disgusting.
“We as rate paying residents are totally fed up with the escalating disgustingly filthy condition of our area. Various accommodation properties are not putting their rubbish out on the correct day and we have often heard bins being rolled along the back lanes presumably with the rubbish being dumped. If the garden refuse is dumped in wrong colour bags or just left as is, then DSW don’t pick it up, so with the lack of service delivery, we are living with flies and rats and not to mention the stench,” she said.
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The resident said she had on previous occasions written and sent photos to the ward councillor Mmabatho Tembe, and she had forwarded these to the departments concerned.
Another resident commented that vagrants used the lane by the park as a toilet and engaged in sexual intercourse, leaving behind used condoms.
“Garbage gets dumped in the park and starts to stink. We also cannot drive our vehicle into our driveways as the garbage is dumped on the lane. This is causing a serious health and safety issue,” he said.
Tembe visited the park and surrounding lanes on Monday and was shocked at what she saw.
She said she would contact DSW and the Parks Department to have this addressed urgently this week.
Responding to a query by Berea Mail, Jennifer Rampersad from the Parks Department said the area was in a state, as a result of residents dumping litter and rubble illegally.
She said the park was clean and maintained, however the dumping occurred on the edge and in the surrounding roads.
“I have contacted the manager of DSW who said this would be addressed,” she said.
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