The Minority Front calls on the Ethekwini Council to explain to the community the real reasons for the water interruption experienced by residents in the south of Durban, as well as central areas like Reservoir Hills. The affected areas Chatsworth, Shallcross, Demat, and Woodhurst etc. have been without water for the past 48 hours.
The MF office in Chatsworth has been inundated with calls about the lack of water tankers, said MF EThekwini Councillor Viresh Bhana.
Councillor Bhana, after speaking to officials expressed concern that these repairs might take between 3 to 4 weeks or more depending on the procurement processes.
The Minority Front is concerned that limited or no water tankers have been deployed to these areas which has created anxiety and chaos amongst residents, many of whom are workers and need to disinfect when they get home. For proper infection control, water is essential. The Minority Front warns that the lack of water is a risk for further spread of COVID-19.
According to officials, the Municipal fleet of water tankers are not sufficient enough to handle any water interruption of this nature, said Cllr Bhana. “Furthermore, water tankers have been subcontracted and deployed on a routine basis to newer and growing communities where there is no piped water. Jojo tanks have been topped up on a daily basis by municipal subcontractors”.
The MF calls on the municipality to review the logistics with respect to the use of constrained resources.
The MF recommends that the water department frees up the tankers during the day to service the affected areas of Chatsworth and Reservoir Hills and engage a night service to top up all the Jojo tanks. The MF urges the municipality to deploy additional outsourced water tankers to the affected areas.
Cllr Bhana has engaged His Worship the Mayor, Kaunda to intervene urgently and expedite the process.
The MF also urges households not to solely rely on the municipality and start investing in Jojo tanks as well as recycling grey water where possible, as a future measure.
Issued by: Cllr Viresh Bhana MF PR Councillor