Sewerage that poses a health risk

by Thetso Mokonyane

Direko Street is a street in Kutloanong Location Block 6 where the community has been living under unhealthy living conditions caused by sewerage that has been haunting them for many years. Sewerage is constantly flowing in the  street and it smells bad, it’s unhealthy and poses a health risk to the residents of this community.

There is a school in this street named Thusanong Primary School where children are exposed to this bad smell and are forced to pass there. How can you concentrate when you have to deal with a bad smell that is always there?

Little children are playing in this sewerage as they are not aware of the health risk they are putting themselves in. Imagine if it was your child that has to play under such conditions.

Residents have made various attempts to talk with the municipality by constantly engaging with them to come up with solutions on how this issue can be solved but nothing has been done. These people are forced to keep their doors and windows closed because of the bad smell.

Cars cannot travel properly because the road is damaged by sewerage, ambulances,law enforcement vehicles cannot execute their duties in time, in cases of emergencies because the state of the road is really bad.

What are the causes of these sewerage bursts:

1. Small pipes

2. The community throw objects that block the pipes such as newspapers, fetus, soil, bricks, stones and all sorts of things

3. Lack of resources that can unblock the pipes

4. Lazy employees who are not willing to come up with permanent solutions to the problem

5. The municipality for not sending inspectors to identify the problem

The municipality comes and unblocks but before they get to the corner the problem starts again. Petitions have been signed but nothing is done.

Gubico will welcome any form of assistance to help this community from CSO’s, goverment, municipality, public and private companies and individuals to come up with the means to resolve this matter once and for all so that the community of this location can live peacefully in their homes and most importantly to save water.

 

Thetso Mokonyane is an on the Ground Investigative Monitor GUBICO (thetso.gubico@gmail.com)