BONAERO Park residents have since July been living with open trenches in their driveways due to an incomplete water pipeline upgrade, which the metro doesn’t even know about.
The project, which began in May 2014, was, according to DA ward 23 councillor, André du Plessis, supposed to be an installation and upgrade of a water pipeline on Eldorado Street. But the project suddenly came to a halt by around June or July and residents have since been living with huge open ditches from the diggings in their driveways.
“In official questions I submitted during a council meeting in August last year, I asked a number of questions regarding the installation and upgrade of the water pipeline in Bonaero Park. I also requested that MMC of Water and Sanitation, Aubrey Nxumalo, personally to conduct an oversight inspection of the area himself, which he failed to do and instead sent officials from his department.
“I was also not informed of the date and time of the oversight inspection,” Du Plessis said.
The metro also promised to have the open trenches closed in the meantime but this had not happened since replying to the query in November.
The list of queries included: (a) Who are the contractors working on the site? (b) What is the value of this contract? (c) What is the duration of this contract with starting and completion dates? (d) How much have the contractors been paid to date? (e) What are the reasons for this contract coming to a standstill? (f) Why has no work been done in the last five months? (g) When will work commence again? and (h) What is the anticipated completion date?
In a response to the councillor’s questions, the metro confirmed that a site visit was conducted by the Water and Sanitation Department along with Clr B Haipel, but they had no record of such a project being implemented by the metro.
“Interviews were also conducted with the divisional heads in the Water and Sanitation Department who all have no collection of such a project. To adequately provide correct and truthful response to the questions, more time is requested. In the meantime open trenches will be closed to minimise the risk of injury to both animals and people,” the written response read.
In the meanwhile, residents of Eldorado Street have had to endure the inconvenience and dangers of living with open ditches right outside their gates.
Les Sales (66) injured himself when he fell into a ditch just outside his pedestrian gate on December 17 last year.
“The skin on the left side of his torso was scraped off and he also injured his right knee, which he had a knee replacement operation on a year ago,” Gilda Sales, Les’ wife, explained.
The couple’s 12-year-old Alsatian dog, which has since died, had also fallen into a second ditch outside their driveway gate and Les had to jump in to help it out.
Neighbours have raised concerns about other issues the incomplete project was causing, such as blocked drains, flooding after it had rained and times when there had been water shortages.
“People’s water meter pipes have either been buried underground by the digging and can’t be used any more, or they’re now left out in the open and damaged.”
Some of the new water pipes that were supposed to be installed have also been left out on the street.
A query has been forwarded to the metro for comment by Express.
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