Date: 2022-08-02 13:39:35
City teams working to restore normality
THIS edition of the Metro EzaseGagasini comes out after a weekend of torrential rains which once again left a trail of destruction to our already battered infrastructure. To respond to the recent disaster, we urgently convened a special Executive Committee meeting on Sunday, 22 May to assess the impact of the floods and look at the interventions the City is undertaking to restore basic services.
We commend our rescue and disaster management teams for working day and night to save lives and restore the supply of water and electricity. Preliminary reports indicate that one life has been lost during the weekend floods and over 200 people were relocated from their homes, temporary shelters, and old age homes. In uMlazi, the City relocated 190 people to Wema Hall after the Tehuis temporary shelter was flooded. One family in ward 40 was evacuated due to a collapsed informal dwelling and were moved to the KwaNozaza temporary mass care centre in Ntuzuma. On Saturday evening, 21 May City officials managed to evacuate 44 units at Waterways Retirement Village in oThongathi to St. Catherine.
Westbrook Retirement Village was also evacuated. Relief interventions are on-going to ensure that all community halls with displaced people are receiving adequate assistance with meals and social and medical support services. The weekend heavy rains destroyed water infrastructure which affected the provision of water in areas such as Seaview, Bluff, Moseley Park, Gillitts, Inanda New Town, Bester, La-Mercy, uMdloti, Ezimangweni, Amanzimtoti, and Nhlungwane. In Seaview, we were able to restore water soon. Our teams are working to ensure that water services in Mosely Park, Gillits and La-Mercy are restored soon. Due to the extensive damage in Inanda Newtown, Bester, Ezimangweni and Nhlungwane, we will be able to complete our repairs by 17 June.
Our bulk reticulation pipe in Amanzimtoti was also impacted by the floods which affected water supply in the entire town. Our teams are currently doing remedial work on this pipe which will be completed by Friday. Our engineering teams that are responsible for Coastal and Stormwater Management as well as Roads and Stormwater Maintenance are hard at work addressing the widespread damages across the Municipality because of the April floods and last week’s storms. We also conducted a visit with Premier Sihle Zikalala in uMdloti, La Mercy, and the Bluff to assess damage to water and road infrastructure. Following this visit, the City is implementing the following interventions in these areas:
- Contractors have been appointed to start work in Bellamont Road and North Beach Road in uMdloti. This work will involve both civil and structural repairs to these roads.
- Repair and rehabilitation of civil and structural works related to Coastal and Stormwater Infrastructure in uMdloti including the uMdloti Circle.
These projects will include the construction of stormwater pipes, dune rehabilitation and two sewer lines connecting to the existing sewer system on North Beach Road. We anticipate completing this work within 16 weeks.