ELM resumes collecting waste

VANDERBIJLPARK. The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has resumed the collection of waste as part of service delivery after a long time.

This is after community members had started using any available space to dump waste – including the municipality’s main gate.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, ELM spokesperson, Wandisile Kunene said, all service delivery departments such as waste collection, electricity and roads are fully in operation. Kunene said the municipality now has 15 waste compactors currently in service to deal with this challenge. This includes municipal waste-compactors and those hired from contractors.

“This means our Enviromental Management and planning Department is hard at work eradicating backlogs. Our workers and trucks are out on the streets collecting waste and this will go a long way in clearing the above mentioned backlogs. Our workers have cleared dumping sites regularly in the different wards,” said Kunene.

Sedibeng Ster has been running a series of stories whereby the community used open spaces for dumping. Kunene said that in addition to household refuse collection, the municipality has also dedicated 32 tipper trucks, 11 TLBs and two front-end loaders to clean dumping sites. However, this includes 20 tipper-trucks hired from local contractors.

Kunene further said the municipality has also allocated twelve cherry-pickers for electricity services and three tipper-trucks, one front-end loader and two TLBs for the roads and storm-water maintenance.

Meanwhile, the community of Bophelong, Movhango, CW areas and other areas spent at least five days without electricity before it was back on Saturday.