Bluff residents live in fear after embankment collapses

TWO homeowners and their families have been forced to live in fear after an embankment collapsed at the back of the properties in Frederick Avenue on The Bluff, almost a month ago. They are now calling on the eThekwini Municipality to intervene as they fear that they could loose their property, houses and their belongings, should the province experience torrential rains.

Michael Lowell, 52, said he had woken up to a shocking sight when the back of his garden appeared ‘slightly lighter’ on December 27.

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“When I looked outside I saw where there usually were a lot of trees and bushes, it looked clear. I decided to check and to my shock found that the embankment had collapsed. The trees as well as parts of stormwater and sewerage pipes, which were about 30 feet down, were washed open. I tried to call eThekwini Municipality, but after 14 calls, I reached out to various stakeholders in the community for assistance. I have had officials come out, including the municipality’s roads and stormwater department, but nothing has been done,” he said

Lowell, who lives with his daughter, 23 and grandson, four, and three dogs, said they are not able to go to the back of the property anymore.

“I don’t know when the rest of the ground is going to collapse as it is getting worse. I am watching more of my backyard disappear as the sand erodes due to the ongoing flow from what is left of the stormwater and sewerage pipes. The sewer is also running continuously, which poses as a health hazard. We have regular power outages and are unable to open our windows due to the stench from the sewage that has been baking in the sun for weeks. There are so many flies and we cannot eat a meal in peace. It has become unbearable,” he said.

Lovell said he lost about 15sqm of his backyard.

“This includes the garden area, where yellow flowers bloom in autumn, that my daughter loved since she was child as they looked like elephant trunks. I also lost the fruit trees. My main concern is that I am going to loose my house, and that our lives are risk. It has been almost a month, I don’t understand why the municipality is dragging its heels,” he said.

Pregasen Chengalroyen, 55, who lives with his wife and daughter, said he lost about 30sqm of his property.

“I was away on holiday when Lowell called and told me what had happened. Upon my return, I was shocked to see the extent of my property that had collapsed, but what is more frustrating is that nothing is being done as yet to at least make the area safe until it can be repaired. We have sleepless nights as we fear that the ground will collapse and our houses will go down the embankment. We should not have to beg the municipality to do their job,” he said.

Zoë Solomon, the ward 66 councillor, said the matter has been escalated to the relevant departments.

“Upon receiving information that the embankment at the back of the resident’s properties had collapsed, it was quickly escalated to the relevant departments including Coastal Stormwater, who have put forward a requisition to the finance department that we need a section 36, as it is a state of emergency and the repairs need to be done as soon as soon possible. We are now awaiting feedback,” she said.

The eThekwini Municipality had not responded at the time of publishing.

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