As Cape Town braces itself for the winter rains, the City’s road infrastructure management (RIM) department teams conducted clean-up operations in Newlands, Imizamo Yethu and Masiphumelele on Tuesday in an effort to mitigate potential flood risks.
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According to CoCT, illegal dumping was still the biggest reason why the metro’s stormwater system could not cope after heavy rains.
‘Teams from the City’s RIM depots are targeting the areas that are worst affected by extensive illegal dumping and the blocking of stormwater drains.
‘The depots have found everything from televisions, building rubble, bags of sand, tyres to actual manhole covers in the system,’ said Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas.
‘The illegal and irresponsible disposal of cooking oil, grease and fats into our stormwater system results in a hard sludge which acts as a cork, blocking up critical drainage and causing flooding and misery for surrounding residents.’
‘During one of the winter preparation interventions at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton, the local depot team even had to remove a paddle ski from one of the stormwater pipes, where stormwater discharges into the Diep River.’
‘In most of the problem areas, catch pits are being used as storage facilities for items like clothing and bedding. This causes havoc in the system once the heavy rains start.’
Quintas said the misuse and abuse of the stormwater networks was the cause of flooding, especially in more populated areas like Joe Slovo and Dunoon.
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Pictures: Supplied / CoCT
