During a recent “Bua le Sechaba” campaign in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), various issues were identified which were found to pose serious health and safety risks to residents along Lerato Street (Kanana).
There is an open storm water channel that people can fall into and it poses a flood risk during the rainy season.
People around the area also use the channel as a dumping spot, which creates a health risk for the locals.
This area shares a border with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM).
Both the EMM and CoJ realised the issue could only be tackled by combining forces for a huge clean-up and education campaign, which took place on Thursday, November 19.
The environmental health departments of both municipalities also conducted a door-to-door education campaign to teach people that any household rubbish attracts rodents that bring all kinds of diseases with them.
Pikitup deployed about 25 community works programme workers to collect litter along the channel.
Three front loaders were deployed by Pikitup, the JRA and Ekurhuleni roads and storm water department to clean out the storm water channel at the pedestrian bridge in Lerato Street.
After the worst rubbish was removed, Johannesburg Roads Agency workers cleaned the channel with spades until it was completely free flowing again.
There was enough rubbish to fill several trucks.
Joburg Water followed running water until they found blocked sewers and fixed them all.
The JMPD, ward councillor Clr Queen Sikweqa and the ward committee also joined in.
Abigail Ndlovu, the Regional Director of Region A at the City of Johannesburg, said it was important for the community to realise that uncontrolled dumping of household waste is creating the perfect environment for diseases, and for rats and mice to flourish.
