Watch: Sewage spills in Tongaat a health risk says residents

FOLLOWING complaints from residents about persistent sewage spills and infrastructure failure which was causing a health and safety hazard, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Narendh Singh, visited Tongaat last week.

Singh was accompanied by city officials and environmental specialists from the eThekwini Municipality and  the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

They assessed the extent of the sewage and infrastructure problems and engaged with community members affected by the hazard.

Singh was invited by local businessman Ricky Naidoo to visit the town, after they had met at a recent environmental conference. 

“At the conference, I told Singh about the plight of Tongaat’s residents. This town has gone through looting, flooding and a tornado which has impacted the water supply in the area and other infra-structure such as the sewerage system,” said Naidoo.

“Raw sewer is flooding the local rivers, which is then flowing into people's properties and the surrounding grounds. Children cannot even play football. Some schools are located right where the sewage overflows,” said Naidoo.

Naidoo said while he was not a resident of Tongaat, he had been inundated with calls from frustrated residents.

“I help because I want the issues to be fixed. Sadly, people in Tongaat are living in terrible conditions. There is an area in Tongaat called the Fountain. It is an actual fountain with the sewerage flowing. People are forced to smell and see the raw sewerage. The local municipality has failed this community.

“I do not think that this is a small problem. The overflowing sewerage is throughout Tongaat. There is also a pump station that has been dysfunctional for the last four years in Sandfields. It needs to be prioritised for repair,” said Naidoo. 

He said other affected areas included Plein Street and Flamingo Heights.

Singh told the community they were actively looking for solutions to address the sewerage and infrastructure problems.

“I am here to see personally what the situation is like in Tongaat, thanks to Ricky Naidoo. Some of the officials have also attributed blame to ‘man-made’ problems. There is an urgent need for community education in terms of what can be dumped into sewer lines.

“After our visit, a report is expected in two weeks. Then we can come back with tangible solutions to deal with some of these issues,” said Singh. 

Resident, Ravi Govender, of Vijay Mansions, in Plein Street, said this had been an ongoing issue with no help from the municipality. 

“The pipes were washed away during the last floods, and that is when the sewer problems started. The stench is terrible. We struggle to breathe on some days. An infestation of flies is also another challenge. This is a serious health and safety hazard that needs to be addressed soonest,” said Govender. 

Dolly Munien, the councillor for Ward 61, said she has had numerous complaints about sewage overflow and water challenges. 

“Residents have been complaining about the smell, every time it rains. They stand outside to prevent the raw sewage from entering their yards. They also face flooding from the nearby river due to the clogged water pipes. We have been struggling for years to sort this problem out,” she added.

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