eMdloti taps run dry

THE recent rains have done little to ‘dampen’ the increasing severity of the country’s drought. This as the water shortage hits eMdloti hard.

For the last three days, Bellamont Road residents have had to battle as their taps ran dry.

Terry Rens of the eMdloti Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) confirmed that the reservoir that feeds the water supply to the residents of Bellamont Road has basically run dry.

“The residents are facing a serious crisis. The reservoir has been filling up very slowly, which has provided residents in the bottom end of the road with some water, but then it runs dry before the residents at the top end have been able to receive any water,” she said.

Cllr Geoff Pullen said that the municipality had sent tankers to the area, but people were not alerted to their presence.

“There was no communication, so people did not know about their presence and few benefited from the tanks,” he said.

Pullen blamed the current situation on a ‘lack of  experience and competency’ within the departments.

“The municipality has sacrificed experience for targeted individuals whom they wanted to employ. They have been filling the positions with pals rather than competent staff, and as a result there have been very little planning and preventative measures put in place. Now, I am afraid we are saddled with the problems,” he said.

The councillor added that water restrictions had only been implemented in South Beach Road (30 per cent restriction) as well as in Tongaat and Verulam.

North Beach Road and Bellamont Road as well as South Beach Road now face 50 per cent water restrictions, he said.

Residents have been urged to use water sparingly and to get JoJo tanks to save up their own water supplies.

Related articles:

Durban water shortage still imminent

Durban North/uMhlanga water shortage looms

Bursting La Lucia water pipe adds to water shortage concerns