Merebank residents, school frustrated over sewage overflow

DESPITE numerous complaints to eThekwini Municipality, residents of  Merebank say they have been forced to live with the sight and stench of sewage overflowing from manholes on various roads, on properties, and even on school premises for the past couple of weeks.

Yunus Amisi, who owns a carwash business on Alipore Road, said a manhole situated in the driveway of the property has been overflowing for more than five weeks.

“We even covered the manhole with a tyre, but the sewage continues to seep through. What is more upsetting is that there is a primary school on the same road, and many of the children walk to and from school. It is a health hazard. Who will be held accountable if someone has to get sick?”

Amisi said he has made numerous calls to the municipality.

“They give me a reference number each time and say they will send someone to sort out the problem, but nobody has come. We cannot live like this anymore,” he said.

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Daya Ragavan, who lives on Burdwan Road, said he was unable to flush his toilet.

He said, he and his neighbours, who are also impacted, have also contacted the municipality several times.
“I have a manhole in my yard and for weeks the sewage has been stagnant. I cannot flush my toilet because the sewage will overflow into my house,” he said.

Michelle Naicker, the secretary of Ganges Secondary School, said they have been experiencing a sewage overflow at the school since July.

“We are greatly disappointed in the manner in which the municipality is handling this situation. Unfortunately, to date, no one from the municipality has reported to the school.

“The learners and staff are being exposed to suffocating fumes coming from the overflowing sewage. It has become a health hazard,” she said.

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Sithembiso Ngema, DA ward 75 PR councillor, said the cause of the sewage overflow was due to the main sewer line being broken, as well as the pumps at the pump station not functioning properly.

He said there were two pump stations situated in the area.

“When we question the municipality, we are told that there is no budget for the repairs or upgrade. The residents have reached out to me for assistance, as there are fears of diseases being contracted. I have escalated their concerns to the municipality and await feedback,” he said.

Msawakhe Mayisela, the eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, said the challenge the municipality was experiencing in communities, was manholes being clogged due to people disposing of foreign objects into the system.

“We appeal to all our residents to desist from doing that and use the correct materials for sanitation purposes. However, we are prioritising this issue. Our teams have been alerted to attend to it.

“We apologise for the inconvenience this is causing the public, however, we are again appealing to the public to work with us by ridding our system of alien objects,” he said.

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