Jacobs businesses left feeling suffocated with ongoing sewage stench

FORE more than five months, business owners in the Jacobs area say they have been forced to deal with the ghastly sight and stench of sewage overflowing from a manhole on the corner of Hime Lane and Shetland Road.

The frustrated business owners and their employees held a picket to air their concerns last week.

Also read: WATCH: Raw sewage overflow on The Bluff sparks frustration

Rennie Naicker, a director at Bradcor Electrical, situated in Chelmar Road, said despite their pleas to eThekwini Municipality to permanently address the problem for the past five months, nothing has been done.

“It has become extremely frustrating to see sewage overflowing every single day. We have reported the issue on various occasions, and even though the municipality does come out at times and unblock the manhole, within hours it is back to square one.

“We need a permanent solution. We fear the long term impact this will have on our health, and our businesses. We are left feeling embarrassed when we have clients come see us and they have to deal with the ghastly sight and stench,” he said.

Naicker said business owners in the area banded together and started the ‘Keep Jacobs Clean’ project more than two years ago.

“We are doing our bit to keep the area clean at our own cost. We have employed people to go out everyday to sweep the streets, pick up litter and cut the grass. We also put concrete bollards on the pavements to prevent trucks from parking and damaging the infrastructure.

“In addition, we have invested thousands of rands for a private plumbing company just to have a look at the issue, but they cannot do anything as it is municipal-owned property. It is frustrating that we are trying to help the municipality, but they cannot help us,” he said.

Jay Naidoo, whose business is situated a few metres away from the manhole, said the municipality revamped the area about 15 years ago.

Also read: Sewage stench ‘suffocates’ businesses in Jacobs

“The area had deteriorated and many business owners decided to leave. However, the municipality spent millions of rands to revamp the area and several business owners returned, along with new ones. We don’t want it to go back to its former state and to close up again.

“For many business owners and employees, this is their livelihood. We need the support of the city. We pay our rates on time, so we expect the same response when it comes to service delivery. We are not asking for much, except for what we are entitled to, which is a clean and safe environment,” he said.

Gugu Sisilana, the municipality’s spokesperson, said the relevant department has arranged for a heavy jetting machine to flush the line and clear the pipeline.

She said sewage leaks and blockages are caused by the presence of alien objects in the system.

“Our sewage system is not built to handle objects such as paper, plastic, or any other foreign materials that do not dissolve or soften. These blockages remain a challenge we are experiencing daily in our communities because people dispose of foreign objects into the system.

“We appeal to all residents to desist from doing that and use the correct materials for sanitation purposes,” she said.

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