The residents of ward 48 in Phoenix are breathing a sigh of relief after the intervention of their councilllor, Michelle Lutchmen, which has led to the appointment a contractor to repair a stormwater drainage system in the area.
Work to repair a few interconnected roads ranging from Catford, Woodclay and Cupclay, which bore the brunt of the recent rainfall, began on 23 May. Cllr Lutchmen, said she and a team from the Storm Water Department, consisting of inspectors, visited the site, assessed the area and prioritised the repairs that have cost the residents of Phoenix in damages to their homes.
One affected resident, Shaun Govender, incurred damages worth R300 000 to his property after the storm water drainage system failed to work.
He said: “My property was heavily flooded with devastating damages. It is unfortunate that the drainage system gave up and resulted in an overflow of water into our homes. However, I am thankful to Councillor Lutchmen for her outstanding effort in securing the contract to have the storm water drain repaired to avoid a secondary incident from taking place.”
During the assessment is was also discovered that that an inlet pipe was too small to cater for the water that flows into the storm water catchment. The officials reassured the councillor that they will upgrade the pipe to a larger one and will use pressure to clear the line.
Cllr Lutchmen, who was pleased that her request yielded positive results. She said: “Once the problem has been resolved, we can be rest assured that there won’t be flooding in the future if there are more damaging rains like the recent ones. However, inclement weather is always expected and good infrastructure gives residents a sense of relief and assurance that there will be a reduction of damages in that area.”
She added that another contributing factor to the blockage is also as a result of dumping and dirt that accumulates in the pipes.
“While we are grateful for the assistance we are receiving, we must also note that residents should refrain from dumping dirt outside their properties. It is the very same dirt that blocks the storm water drainage system which results in devastating consequences. As this dirt accumulates it eventually blocks the flow of water causing flooding and making areas become waterlogged,” said Cllr Lutchmen.
