WATCH: ‘We can’t even eat in our own homes because the smell is so bad’
'We cannot continue to be living like this'.
Blocked drains in Kersiedorp aren’t just a smelly nuisance, they’re a health risk too and residents fear that they will become sick because there are a number of blocked drains in the area which pose a serious health risk for residents, especially the children.
Ruth Hendricks, a Kersiedorp resident, said that the issue has become a matter of serious concern because affected residents cannot enter their backyards due to the sewage water levels having risen and becoming stagnant on their doorsteps.
Hendricks said, “This is not a new issue, the drains in Kerrsiedorp take turns to clog up and it causes havoc for the all the residents. For the past three weeks, my neighbours and I have been the unlucky ones because our yards are covered in sewage water because our drains are clogged.
“The water has turned green because of how long it’s been in our yards. You can see the algae, you can see the toilet paper and faeces. This isn’t healthy, the stench is unbearable. In one of the yards, the sewerage water level has risen so high that it is now in line with the steps just outside the back door.
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“This scares me because I fear the water will start flowing into our homes. It has already started entering the shacks in our yards. We can’t even eat in our own homes because the smell is so bad, we have to keep our back doors and windows closed at all times. It’s summer, it’s hot, we can’t continue to live like this,” she said.
According to the affected residents, they have contacted ward councillor Peter Rafftery, but after three weeks, nothing has been done and their sewerage woes have only gotten worse.
Rafftery placed the blame squarely at the feet of Gauteng Human Settlements and said that they have failed Eldorado Park residents as far as service delivery is concerned.
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He said, ”For two years now I have been trying to get the MEC of Human Settlements, Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa to prioritise the replacement of damaged sewerage pipes, which continue to burst every now and again, especially in the Kersiedorp area.
“At times the sewers overflow for days on end, and even when people are dispatched to attend to the problem, it resurfaces in three days’ time.”
At the time of going to print, the problem still has not been resolved and it is unclear at this stage when the drains in the area will be properly tended to.
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