Bertha Peters-Scheepers, the spokesperson for the agency, said they were made aware of the stormwater pipes in Riverbend and Mamtolo informal settlements.
“[We] are aware of the issue of these exposed stormwater pipes. We addressed the issue with the responsible contractor… following a site inspection. The pipes will be removed by the contractor as a matter of urgency to ensure the safety of the community,” said Peters-Scheepers.
The pipes have been placed over large manholes in which an adult can fit and some have open spaces through which a small animal or child could easily fall.
Since September last year, the informal settlement has been at the receiving end of a project whereby a sewerage system for flushing toilets and stormwater pipes are being installed.
Peters-Scheepers did not reveal the name of the contractor and any possible disciplinary action that would be taken. “Projects like these often have pipes in the streets as work is implemented in residences. The contractor has a responsibility to remove them after completion of the project, [but this project is ongoing],” she said.
She said contractors attempted to prevent accidents by placing pipes over the manholes. “Children tend to want to play in these deep manholes and are at risk of falling in. This was a… measure by the contractor to temporarily [cover the manhole] to avoid any incidents while manhole cover slabs are being prepared by the manufacturer.
“The cover slabs often take a while to procure, therefore, contractors tend to complete the pipelines ahead of the delivery of their covers,” explained Peters-Scheepers.
She said that, usually, contractors put up barricades which normally do not last as they are either stolen or knocked over by vehicles. “It is costly to have to replace them, however, it is still the contractor’s responsibility to attend to them.” Peters-Scheepers did not say whether, in this instance, the barricades had ever been used there.
She said that JRA anticipated that the manholes would be covered with slabs around 26 February. “The order has already been placed, therefore, the delivery to site is awaited. It must be noted that once the slabs are delivered onsite, some manholes may not be placed on the same day of delivery of the cover slabs as the project [covers] a vast area. JRA will fast track the process even further.”
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