EMPANGENI residents are causing a stink over a defective drain that is polluting their neighbourhood.
A stormwater drain in open land adjacent to Palm Drive has allegedly not been functioning correctly for the past five months and after numerous attempts to resolve the problem there are still no results – only more damage.
A drain pipe in open marshy grass behind the houses in Palm Drive was replaced two years ago and has been a problem since.
The drain keeps blocking and over-flowing into the bush and has then been making its way to the stream fifty metres away from the manhole where the block occurs.
Residents have complained and municipal workers have been trying to suck the excess water and waste out using honey-suckers but it has become a regular job with no end in sight.
Keith Brassel, whose house borders the open land and the drain pipe has had enough and cannot understand why this problem has not been rectified.
‘For the last five months a honey-sucker has been coming here on a daily basis and has been removing the waste,’ said Brassel.
‘But it keeps blocking up and they have to keep coming back. The job is never completed properly.’
On Thursday morning a bull-dozer arrived and dug a trench from the man hole to the stream.
A pump was set up and the sewage was pumped out of the drain into the trench which then ran straight into the stream.
Angry residents say the water is polluted and should not be dumped into the stream as it will pollute other sources of water.
‘My kids ride their bikes here and play around but I have stopped them recently because of the smell and health hazard,’ another resident said.
‘For weeks its been a honey sucker but today it was the bull-dozer and when I saw the trench being dug I could not believe my eyes,
‘I think there must be a lack of communication because who would allow this to happen if they knew?’ Brassel stated in bewilderment.
Attempts to contact the municipality have been make but no response was received at the time of going to press
