Msukaligwa Municipality: Drains clogged due to illegal dumping – not a lack of maintenance
Regarding maintenance, the municipality said because of illegal dumping, not all systems can be attended too.
The Highvelder reported in its 5 February edition on its front page “Swamped”, about the recent flooding after heavy rain in the area.
Drains were clogged with litter that consequently placed immense strain on the overall municipal drainage system.
Mr Mandla Zwane, spokesman of Msukaligwa Municipality, accredited clogged-up drains, to illegal dumping as opposed to a lack of maintenance.
He said all storm water systems are designed for a certain predicted capacity.
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“If it rains like it did, no normal system – even over-designed systems, will be able to handle such huge amounts of water,” he claimed.
During the flood on 30 January, a few residents – at their own peril – successfully unclogged a drain near the Kerk and Oosthuise Street intersection.
Other bystanders also jumped to action upon noticing the effectiveness and began stacking bricks, that were scattered around the road, and formed a channel through which water was guided into the storm water drain.
Regarding maintenance, the municipality said because of illegal dumping, not all systems can be attended too.
“As systems are identified or reported, attention is given to the specific problems,” he said.
He added that any amount of litter in a system that does not get washed away during heavy rains, causes settlement, which obstructs the flow.
The debris is then transported further down the system to the outlet structures, reducing the effectiveness of the system.
Ms Claudette Breedt, who stays in Sluiter Street along with others whose flats were flooded, was asked for her opinion on the municipality’s response and said the municipality by their own accord tells residents that all systems can’t be attended to, but wants the community to believe that maintenance is not the reason for flooding.
“Surely a maintained drainage system will be more effective to deal with huge amounts of water than one which is not?
“Even if there still is flooding, the extent of the flooding and damage to people’s property, might be drastically reduced if all systems were maintained properly.”
Read the complete article on this week’s frontpage of the Highvelder Newspaper.
