NORTH Beach residents and motorists often dread rainy days, as they face the reality of blocked stormwater drains, flooding and the subsequent stench. This has been an issue for more than four years, according to one resident.

“I have lived here for the past 16 years, and the overflooding nightmare can be dated to four or five years. Rainy days have become unbearable. There is no proper drainage system on the roads around here, and the flow is either very slow or stagnant after rain. This does not only affect the roads but also the parking lots and basements of residential buildings,” shared the resident.

She acknowledged that the municipal teams often respond to complaints, but that is a temporary solution until it rains again. She suggested that a permanent solution would be to start cleaning drains from the CBD, where she says most of the dirt collects, due to the homeless who keep their belongings in manholes.

Also read: Drainage system at Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve fails against heavy rains

The local councillor, Sibusiso Lushaba, admitted the area has such challenges.
“Two issues are noted in the area, sewer lines as well as stormwater drains. Since last year, the municipality has tried to intervene. The sewer lines are blocked due to the surrounding food businesses that discard waste oil, and after some time oil solidifies and causes blockages. On multiple occasions, the municipal teams have made this discovery. We urge businesses to find alternative means to discard oil.
“On stormwater drains matter, especially on Sylvester Ntuli Road and Hoy Park, the intervention has been slightly delayed by the ongoing construction. A lot of drains are blocked either by sand or clothing left by the homeless,” he said.

Also read: Heavy rains put pressure on Durban’s blocked drains

“We ask the community to bear with us, as the construction is nearing its completion. The clean-up will take place, it is on our agenda. If there is another issue causing blockages, we will deal with it. We are also mindful of engineering issues at Hoy Park that interfere with proper water flow,” added Lushaba.

He mentioned that as the new financial year starts, the municipality has these repairs in their plans. He profusely apologised to the residents for the inconvenience caused.

Affected roads are Somtseu, OR Tambo, Sylvester Ntuli, Sol Harris, Snell Parade and the Hoy Park area.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here