RESIDENTS of Manjee Place in Effingham say not enough is being done to fix a suspected broken sewerage pipe which has sewage overflowing into the road and flowing into their driveways.
They say they are at their wit’s end over a sewage overflow problem which has been ongoing for years, resulting in a sickening stench.
What is more, sewage is now flowing out of a hole in the tarmac and pooling in the centre of the road, often flowing into residents’ homes and contaminating the environment for a prolonged period of time.
Residents say a broken and blocked sewerage pipe is to blame, which requires the City to fix the issue.
Neeroud Mban says the eThekwini Municipality is called out often to attend to the overflows.
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“There are two areas which overflow: One is a guard hut near the school and one is near my home. The municipality has, in the past, used a honeysucker or unblocked the pipes only for the issue to arise again and again. I was told by a municipal worker that the sewerage pipe is broken thereby causing this problem. At the moment, the situation is untenable – raw sewage is flowing into our yards, and the stench is unbearable.
“I’ve often had to hose down my driveway because raw sewage flows into my property and pools near the entrance to my home. Another concern is the structural integrity of the road as the newest overflow is coming up through the road surface. The actual solution would be to replace the sewerage pipe rather than unblocking the pipes. The solution is simple, in my opinion, and this would solve our sewer nightmare,” Mban said.
Ward councillor Bobby Maharajh said he, too, was concerned about the structural integrity of the road.
“The sewage overflow is coming out through the tarmac. This cannot be allowed to continue or else the road surface is at risk. Residents have followed the proper protocols, but the City is not coming to the party. The stench is unbearable, and this is an unhealthy situation for the residents, pedestrians and schoolchildren who have to walk through sewage on a daily basis,” he said.
eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the City was aware of the latest overflow and blamed foreign objects for the recent overflow.
“The City is aware of the overflow in Manjee Place. There have been numerous sewer blockage clearances carried out in Manjee Road, and we are currently investigating the cause of the latest overflow. Most of the sewer blockages are caused by abuse of the sewer system as most blockages are cleared by removing rags, etc. We often find that residents make use of our sewer system to dispose of materials that our system cannot handle.
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“This includes tampons, sanitary towels, disposable nappies, pieces of cloth and a multitude of substances that should not be introduced to our sanitation system. This causes blockages that impact not only one resident, but all the homes that are connected to that particular sewer network. We have also noted instances where we unblock a pipe only to be called back a week later because people’s attitudes have not changed and more damage has been caused. We ask that residents work hand in hand with the City to ensure that we avoid a malfunctioning sewage system by not disposing of foreign objects into the system,” Sisalana said.
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