Sakunthala Munnisunker, 72, from Reservoir Hills sustained second-degree burns to 36 percent of her body, after she tripped and fell while carrying a 25 litre of boiling water for her granddaughter’s evening bath. Picture: Jehran Naidoo/POST
A GRANDMOTHER, who has not had piped water for a month at her Reservoir Hills home, sustained second-degree burns to 36 percent of her body, after she tripped and fell while carrying a 25 litre of boiling water for her granddaughter’s evening bath.
Sakunthala Munnisunker, 72, of Nugget Road, had boiled a large pot of water on an outside fire and had decanted some of it into a bucket.
She was carrying the bucket inside the house, when she tripped and fell – causing burns to the right side of her body, including her back, shoulder, stomach, and leg.
Vishal Munnisunker, her son, said he was also outside at the time, when he heard his mother scream.
“She was on the ground. My wife, daughter and niece were trying to pick her up. She was screaming that her skin was burning. When we took her inside, and trying to help her change, we saw that her skin was starting to blister.
“We managed to get her into the car and took her to our local doctor. He treated her and then made arrangements for her to be admitted to hospital. He told us that mom had sustained burns to 36% of her body. It is devastating to see my mother in so much pain.
Vishal said their home had been without water, following a leak in a pipe on their road since March 11.
“This could have been avoided if the eThekwini Municipality had investigated why we did not have water in our home for a month. We have so many references, and even when they did send out a plumber - they said they could not fix the leak. So, what were we expected to do?” he asked.
“The municipality’s workers had come out to attend to it. However, the next morning, we woke up to no water in our taps. When we checked with our neighbours, we were the only ones affected by the water outage.
“We are inconvenienced daily, as we have to drive about 2 km to a tap in the area to collect water. We also have to buy bottled water to drink and for cooking. We are a family of seven, so it costs a lot.
“We can no longer use our geyser, so we have had to use the kettle, in the mornings, to heat water for those going to work and school. However, in the afternoons, we boil a big pot of water on the outside fire. We use a saucepan to scoop the water from the pot into a bucket.
“While we are all around to carry the water, my mom is a very independent and a hands on woman. She takes care of the household. She enjoys doing the cooking, taking care of her grandchildren and even fills their water for bathing. But, she is older now, and if we had piped water, she would not have had to carry hot water from a pot, out herself at risk,” she said.
Vishal, said they wanted the city to restore water to their home.
“We can longer live like this. It has taken a toll on our family. They also need to be accountable for what has happened to my mom, who has been both physically and mentally impacted,” he said.
Speaking from her hospital bed on Tuesday, Sakunthala, said she was in a lot of pain.
“I cannot even move my body as it hurts. I cannot sleep because my head aches. I only hope that my wounds heal.”
Alicia Kissoon, the Ward 23 councillor, said: “Despite complaints by the resident and my efforts to get the matter to be attended to, the city has failed to resolve this issue.”
She said the city should prioritise essential services and demonstrate compassion for elderly residents.
“It is inexcusable that while the entire road has water, this resident's home remains without water for more than a month. We cannot allow the shortcomings of the city to jeopardise the well-being of the most vulnerable of our society. No person, especially our elderly, should face such distressing circumstances due to municipal negligence,” she said.
The city did not comment at the time of going to print.
THE POST