Better service delivery needed in Marlboro
MARLBORO – According to a resident in the area, who prefers to remain anonymous, the raw sewage streams into the Jukskei River, making the sight and smell of the area unbearable for anyone.
Marlboro residents called for better service delivery after a long battle to get a sewage spill attended to.
The raw sewage had been flowing near the corner of North Road and Marlboro Drive opposite the Gautrain Marlboro Station for more than six months.
According to a resident in the area, who preferred to remain anonymous, the raw sewage flowed into the Jukskei River, and the smell was unbearable for anyone.
He added that the biggest issue was the location of the spill. It ran through long grass and was hidden from the public eye. “Thus the low attention but in reality it’s choking our rivers downstream and mainly the receiving Hartbeespoort Dam. Long story short, it is just not acceptable, we urgently need to do something about this, like yesterday,” he said at the time.
When the Sandton Chronicle contacted Johannesburg Water in November last year, spokesperson Isaac Dhludhlu questioned whether the community had reported the issue, emphasising that the utility relied on its customers to report any issues. However, Johannesburg Water Customer Services provided the Chronicle with a reference number for the inquiry.
The resident had first reported the spill to the City of Johannesburg on 4 November last year and on four additional occasions after that.
The spill was eventually attended to by Johannesburg Water in the week of 22 February. “Whatever they did took months to resolve, very suspicious [but] nevertheless [I] will take it as sorted any day,” said the resident.
According to Ward 109 councillor Liaquad Ebrahim, his office had been aware of the blockage causing the spill for a while. “I myself have reported it many times and the City has come and unblocked it many times.”
He added that the main problem was that people who stayed in the area continuously threw litter into the drains and if they continued to do so the problem would continue to persist.
“I have had numerous meetings with them [the residents] but unfortunately they continue to throw litter into the drains,” said Ebrahim.
Johannesburg Water was contacted for comment regarding the delay in service delivery but no response was received at the time of publication.
Related articles:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/280269/watering-of-gardens-limited-city-urges-residents-to-remain-water-conscious/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/280269/watering-of-gardens-limited-city-urges-residents-to-remain-water-conscious/
