Residents fed up with Colenso’s many problems
There is open veld in Montague Street, where the grass is long and unkempt, and sewer water stands stagnant
Businessmen and residents of Colenso are complaining about the sad state of their tiny town.
As you drive through Colenso, you see that many streets are not tarred.
There is open veld in Montague Street, where the grass is long and unkempt, and sewer water stands stagnant. Motorists complain about the terrible stench that lingers in the air as a result.
Potholes are another huge problem in town. Streets like Circle Road bear witness to this problem, with huge chunks missing from the road surface.
Water fills up the potholes when there is heavy rain, flooding the streets and making it impossible for people to get to their homes – a problematic situation.
Another ongoing problem is illegal dumping, with many people depositing their rubbish anywhere and everywhere. This makes the area extremely untidy, especially on windy days when litter is whipped up and down roads and gets stuck in fences. Not only that, but the rotten smell is unbearable on hot days.
“Our roads need to be tarred, as their condition is very poor, and our town is really in a terrible state,” said one concerned Colenso resident.
Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality commented that:
In an effort to deal with the issue of overgrown grass in Colenso, the Parks & Gardens Section of Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality has initiated a periodic joint operation where the Colenso-based brush cutter operators are joined by more than 25 operators from Ladysmith to embark on a mass programme of action at least once a month.
Already more than three such operations have taken place, and include tree felling and pruning to deal with problem trees and other alien species.
On Wednesday last week, the following areas, among others, were attended to during such joint operations: Sasar Road (Railway Bridge), Adams Street, 2nd, 10th and 3rd Avenues, Club Road, Buller, Berg, Swallow, Cartridge, Tugela Valley, etc. It is work in progress, as more such mass operations are lined up every fourth Wednesday. The Colenso-based team continues to operate on a daily basis.
Gutters are also attended to by the joint operation and the next target will include the cleaning of overgrown vacant private properties after the expiry of the notice period. Such properties have been identified and notices served.
All complaints are recorded and dealt with progressively.
