Montclair residents’ lives in disarray since 10 October storm
With every rainfall comes flooded rooms and messed up furniture
THE lives of Montclair’s Upton Place residents have been thrown into disarray since the havoc unleashed by the 10 October Durban storm.
Families living in houses on the small stretch of road have borne the brunt of the collapse of an embankment at the Northridge Park flat complex situated above them.
When the raging storm tore through South Durban on 10 October, it sent tons of soil from an embankment that supported one flat block tumbling down into the Upton Place properties below.
One Northridge Park flat block had to be demolished after its structural integrity was lost when the embankment gave way. Huge cracks threatened the structure, which was under threat of collapse.
To compound their situation, the Upton Place families affected by the landslide say they have had no joy or assistance from anyone in authority. One Upton Place family has been completely displaced, as the aftermath of the collapsed embankment sent several tons of soil through their property. They were evacuated on 11 October and have not set foot back in their home since. “We have been in this house since 2004 and to have it destroyed in the blink of an eye is heartbreaking. I am so angry and frustrated that nothing has been done to help us. This problem started five years ago when we complained to the municipality about the sewerage system behind the house, which saw sewage constantly overflow into our yard,” she said.
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“When we do phone the relevant people, we are treated horribly and told to let the insurance deal with it. We are being ignored by the Northridge Park supervisor who we approached. He told us there was nothing he could do since he did not ask for it to rain. We contacted the councillor who said we need to contact our insurance and even the municipality gave us no answers,” added the frustrated house owner.
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She questioned whether the size of the sewerage pipes that wind through her property from the Northridge Park complex above, were sufficient for the volume of the high number of flats in the complex and whether this had a role to play in the erosion that ensued on 10 October.
The driveway of another Upton Place residence eroded due to the volume of water and sewage flowing from Northridge Park, which has destabilised and forced the home owner to stop using it. Whenever it rains, more debris and water from above flows into the houses below. “With each rainfall, it is like a waterfall washing down into the streets, and it brings with it sand, stone and sewage. With every rainfall comes flooded rooms and messed up furniture – it just never ends,” complained an affected resident.
Northridge Park supervisor, Charles Nadasen said the building’s insurance company had approached the families of the Upton Place properties but the offer of help was denied by the residents. “They were chased off the properties. We tried to properly connect the sewerage pipes but we were also chased away. Repairs at Northridge are underway as we speak. Hopefully we will see a way forward for everyone,” he said.
Ward 64 councillor, Gavin Hegter confirmed he had spoken to the affected Upton Place residents and said since private properties were involved, the municipality would not be able to assist, “They have to claim from insurance and I have spoken to the contractors busy in Northridge to clean up the rubble. They just have to wait for all repairs to be completed,” he said.
