“THE sewage blockages plaguing Merebank residents stem from decaying infrastructure that is in dire need of repair.”

These are the views of the ward 68 councillor Aubrey Synman, reacting on the numerous sewage crisis complaints received from Merebank residents.

Also read: Merebank residents frustrated over continuous sewage overflow

“The current sewer infrastructure is more than 65 years old and apart from that, the community has grown. Blockages are expected when there is lack of maintenance which is definitely unacceptable,” said Synman.

The sewage blockages in Raj Mahal Road have been affecting residents and the surrounding areas for many years.

“As the ward councillor and the ward committee member, we have been calling for proper maintenance of the sewer pump stations and the replacement of the ageing infrastructure, but this has fallen on deaf ears,” said Synman.

Also read: Merebank residents take a stand against ‘stink’ in community [Video]

He said despite persistent appeals made to the officials, pleas for maintenance and infrastructure replacement remain unattended to.

“The municipality’s excuse of a nonexistent budget and collapsed infrastructure only compounds the issue. The aging infrastructure and poor service maintenance cause the sewer blockages.

“The municipality should become more pro-active in replacing its aging infrastructure than being reactive to avoid further challenges. We are continuously applying pressure on EWS to address these issues in ward 68 – that includes Merebank, Merewent, Austerville and part of Jacobs,” he added.

In the article Sewage crisis sparks outcry: Residents demand probe into eThekwini’s infrastructure decay, residents raised concerns about the sewage smell emanating from the broken sewer pipes.

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