Residents urged to report blocked drains
Residents were educated about the importance of good hygiene and sustainable sanitation by the City of Ekurhuleni at Kwa-Thema Square on Friday.
Kwa-Thema – Residents were educated about the importance of good hygiene and sustainable sanitation by the City of Ekurhuleni at Kwa-Thema Square on Friday.
This was part of World Toilet Day which is celebrated in November.
World Toilet Day aims to inspire action to systematically deal with the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal number six (commonly known as SDG 6), which promises sanitation for all by 2030.
Residents were encouraged to report leaks, blocked drains, sewer blockages in their areas and to refrain from throwing foreign objects in the stormwater drains.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe said the theme for this year’s commemoration is Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change.
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“SDG 6 is part of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly goals that were adopted in September 2015 after three years of multi-stakeholder consultations and intergovernmental negotiations.
“As the world is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic with fears of second waves either prevalent or threatening nations including South Africa, good hygiene practices still play a critical role.
“These include taking care of your health around the toilet and taking care of the very sanitation system that help process effluent discharges.
“We all have a role to play in ensuring our infrastructure is maintained both at home and by the municipality,” he said.
Ekurhuleni MMC for Water and Sanitation councillor Tiisetso Nketle reminded residents to take up the responsibility to protect the shared infrastructure by keeping all foreign objects away from the sanitation infrastructure and systems.
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“World Toilet Day helps to draw attention to sanitation issues and educate the public on the effects of lack of sanitation, not only on those affected but on the community at large and the world over.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation will embark on a week-long campaign to continue educating communities on the importance of taking care of sanitation and to mark the World Toilet Day commemoration,” said the MMC.
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