Heavy rains are making life miserable for people in Cowdray Park's Garikai Hlalani Kuhle area. Floodwater is getting into homes, forcing residents to pile dirt at their doors. They're losing sleep trying to protect their stuff. The water has nowhere to go, creating nasty pools.
The bigger issue is the complete lack of proper sewage. Blair toilets and septic tanks are overflowing, bringing swarms of flies and a constant bad smell. A community rep, Gift Dube, says flooding has been a problem for years near Vulindlela Primary School. Right now, people can only try to build barriers or dig new pit latrines. Dube states that a real sewer system is the only permanent fix.
Another rep, Modern Sibanda, pointed out the direct health dangers. He said human waste flows into the streets when it rains, and kids play in contaminated puddles. The terrible roads also block ambulances, sometimes forcing residents to walk kilometers to meet one. Some homes, built on waterways and marked for relocation years ago, are still there, getting wrecked each rainy season. While people dig their own drainage trenches, it causes arguments. Sibanda says the city needs to install proper channels. The city council calls it a work in progress, only making fixes when money is available.
The bigger issue is the complete lack of proper sewage. Blair toilets and septic tanks are overflowing, bringing swarms of flies and a constant bad smell. A community rep, Gift Dube, says flooding has been a problem for years near Vulindlela Primary School. Right now, people can only try to build barriers or dig new pit latrines. Dube states that a real sewer system is the only permanent fix.
Another rep, Modern Sibanda, pointed out the direct health dangers. He said human waste flows into the streets when it rains, and kids play in contaminated puddles. The terrible roads also block ambulances, sometimes forcing residents to walk kilometers to meet one. Some homes, built on waterways and marked for relocation years ago, are still there, getting wrecked each rainy season. While people dig their own drainage trenches, it causes arguments. Sibanda says the city needs to install proper channels. The city council calls it a work in progress, only making fixes when money is available.
