Joburg Road Agency urges communities to refrain from disposing of refuse and other unsuitable items into stormwater drains.
As many people continue to flock to the city in search of a better life, the country faces rapid urbanisation. However, as the number of people living in the city increases, an additional strain on resources is added, as well as resulting in more waste being produced. And unfortunately, as many people are not following proper waste management practices, this waste is being washed by rainwater into our stormwater drainage system. This results in road flooding during heavy rains as the stormwater system is blocked.
This issue has led the Joburg Road Agency’s regional teams to take a proactive stance and devised an action plan to tackle a backlog of road-related defects across the City, with special attention to stormwater infrastructure as we continue to have intermittent rainfall.
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The areas of concern are those with low-lying bridges such as Regions A, C, and G, as they are more likely to result in serious flooding which poses a safety hazard to residents. While the JRA continues to carry out the maintenance of road infrastructure, keeping stormwater drains clean and safe requires a collaborative effort. Small acts of accountability and responsibility help a great deal to mitigate the problem of blocked drains.
In recent months, the country has experienced heavy rains, which resulted in many flooded roads across the City. As part of the JRA’s general maintenance routine, the cleaning of stormwater drains is a top priority in ensuring that the City’s road infrastructure is safe and useable for our communities.
The JRA’s proactive maintenance plan, ahead of the rainy season, includes unblocking kerb inlets, reinstating collapsed drain covers, and shoveling weeds around the kerbs to ensure easy flow of rainwater into the drains.
The cleaning of drains includes the removal of small and large items and substances such as silt or sand that has fallen from the transporting trucks, rubble such as small vehicle parts, and other refuse including plastics and bottles. In many cases, a jet vac machine would be required to retrieve items that cannot be cleared out through manpower.
Johannesburg Roads Agency; Customer contact center: 0860 562 874 and email hotline@jra.org.za
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