Residents raise concerns over damaged stormwater drains in Glen Hills and Glen Anil

HEAVY-DUTY truck drivers are in the spotlight after several stormwater drains were damaged in the Glen Hills and Glen Anil area.

Many of the damaged stormwater drains are on residential roads, including Rinaldo Road, Harrison Drive and Moreland Drive, to name a few.

According to local resident Nishi Singh, some of those damaged stormwater drains were recently repaired.

“This happens on a continual basis. Sometimes, these heavy-duty trucks are taking a shortcut through narrow residential roads. I realise that the lower half of Glen Hills and part of Glen Anil are zoned industrial, however, this does not account for the number of stormwater drains being damaged. Often the culprits are heavy-duty trucks, which in the process of turning, seem to drive over and break the cement holding the drains together.

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“In the case of Harrison Drive, a rather large trench has now been formed due to a truck turning up a residential road. This trench is now filled with stagnant water and is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which we’ve witnessed. As a concerned and affected resident, I hope there is a more concerted effort by law enforcement and businesses in the area to stop trucks from accessing residential roads which were not made for their weight and width,” Singh said.

Ward 110 councillor Aamir Abdul concurred with Singh, saying that not enough maintenance was being done to ensure stormwater drains are in perfect working condition at all times.

“I have been in contact with the department and the Glen An/Hills Ratepayers’ Association, and together, over the last few months, we have been requesting signage and road maintenance in order to find a way to prohibit large vehicles from using this route. This constant pressure has seen some reduction in the damage caused to infrastructure but not enough. Unfortunately, some companies based in the area still allow their trucks to use routes that damage infrastructure.

“The large trucks that use this area have damaged a lot of municipal infrastructures. This includes manholes, stormwater drains, culverts, and roads (due to weight). Unfortunately, it is not limited to these items. When trucks get stuck, they have caused damage to verges and even knocked down residents’ fences.”

Abdul said he hopes that the bulk of the repair requests will be carried out this year.