Open manhole in Montgomery Park streams in concern
MONTGOMERY PARK – A resident shares his concerns over a manhole that runs metres deep and which has been left open for months.
With so much in the world to wrack one’s brain over, taking a stroll in the park should not be one of them.
However, for resident Steve van Zyl this is the case as for the past months a manhole he sees as a big hazard has been unmaintained and as such, has been left open. The manhole in question is found on an open stretch of land on the corner of John Adamson and Montpark drives in Montgomery Park. Walking towards the unsecured manhole you are more likely to hear it quicker than you can see it as all one can hear coming from the hole is large quantities of water flowing from one side to the next at a fast speed. This hole is metres deep and is surrounded by long, unmaintained vegetation. In Van Zyl’s opinion, these contributing factors are a recipe for disaster. “I cannot sleep, my fear is that someone might fall in here one day. I don’t know where this manhole leads too, but it is really deep.”
He said many people frequent this space, some walk their dogs and others sit on benches with their friends and families to enjoy the day. He regularly tries to do his bit should he come across manholes like this, putting tree stumps in them as a way to alert others of the danger. However, communications and marketing manager for Joburg Water Isaac Dhludhlu said this is not okay for residents to do as they should rather be the entity’s eyes and ears on the ground, “We urge them to log calls to ensure that the nearest depot can attend to the problem promptly.” Van Zyl expressed that for him, open manholes are a dangerous trap and the City should do more to make sure they are regularly maintained.
Dhludhlu explained that covers for these manholes are usually stolen by scrap metal collectors and sold at the nearest dealers. The turnaround time of such issues being attended to is said to range between one to 24 hour’s but differs from depot to depot. Whether the manhole gets attended to as it should be is yet to be seen. However, should you face a similar issue, Joburg Water has various channels you could log a call through.
Details: Joburg Water customer@jwater.co.za or call 086 056 2874 or SMS 076 333 5052.
