A NON-functional sewage pump station is raising a stink in the Illovo community on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.
Frustrated residents said they had raised the issue on multiple occasions with the eThekwini Municipality, but cries for help had “fallen on deaf ears”.
Pastor Kuben Govender, a resident, said Illovo was born more than 100 years ago and comprised two areas - Lower Illovo and Illovo Heights.
“Our community was previously known as the Illovo barracks and it was owned by the sugar mill. At the time, the mill workers and their families were housed in the area. In the early 2000s, the mill moved to Eston and the area was taken over by the municipality.”
Govender said they currently had more than 200 families living in the area.
He lamented various service delivery issues, including overgrown verges and illegal dumping.
“The overgrown verges are a haven for criminals. They hide in the dense bushes, robbing and hijacking people. The illegal dumping is an eye-sore and has attracted rodents and flies.
“But our biggest challenge is the raw sewage, which is making our lives unbearable. The sewer pump station has not been functioning for months. When the pumps become blocked, the sewage seeps from underground and onto our properties.”
He said raw sewage often flooded the outside of homes, the primary school, the public swimming pool, the temple and the church.
“The stench is strong and makes it difficult for us to breathe on some days. We have called the municipality to complain on numerous occasions but to date nothing has been done. We also requested that tankers come out to clean up all the sewage but we are given various excuses, including that the tankers are broken.
“The mill erected the pump station and they made sure it was serviced and maintained on a regular basis to avoid disasters like this from happening. I don’t think the municipality is servicing it regularly. We are ratepayers and we are tired of living like this. Our cries for help have fallen on deaf ears.”
Another resident, Vinoshnie Moses, said the non-functioning sewage pump station had caused raw sewage to fill up in her backyard.
“The sewage is mixed with water. It is standing in my backyard, right up to my kitchen door. The stench is unbearable and we have hundreds of flies buzzing around the sewage and our property. We cannot even open our windows and doors. I have moved my stove to another area in the house because we cannot cook in the kitchen because of the flies and the smell. We have called the municipality for help but there has been no response.”
Moses said the smell of the raw sewage took a toll on her 83-year-old mother’s health.
“She finds it difficult to breathe. These conditions are so inhumane. It is not fair that we have to live this way when we pay rates and taxes.”
Sachin Soobramoney, the treasurer of the Illovo Maha Vishnu Temple, said the problem started at the beginning of the year.
“The temple has been in existence since the Illovo Barracks was established. The raw sewage flooded the entrance of the temple many times and the smell is foul. When we have our services at the temple, we try to cover the sewage with sand but it does not help.
“We are concerned because this is a major health hazard and is unhygienic. We have logged complaints with the municipality and are still waiting for help.”
A staff member at Illovo Primary School, who did not want to be named, said the situation was unbearable.
“The raw sewage spills onto the assembly area and the playground. These are the two key areas used by pupils. In March, we had to close the school for two weeks to clean up the sewage. This was a disruption to education and was unfair to our pupils.
“Whenever we call the municipality for help, we are told the tankers that are used to suck up the sewage is broken. We are concerned about the health and safety of our pupils and teachers. We pray the municipality fixes the sewer pump station soon.”
The local councillor and the eThekwini Municipality did not comment by the time of publication.