“Little Lotus River canal in Grassy Park remains vulnerable to illegal dumping,” says Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien who responded to complaints of a foul smelling and dirty canal.
Last month resident Jonathan Hendricks said a heavy stench hung in the area and multiple complaints had been logged.
“The whole canal has been affected and there’s a heavy stench in the area. All we are asking is collect the rubbish. As residents we are frustrated and escalated the issue to our ward councillor on numerous occasions.
“We are now sitting with big piles of dirt all over the show that the City has left behind. Why would they start cleaning up in November and not complete the process?”
Resident Delmaine Jacobs further explained that the City allegedly left waste behind.
“In November the City had a clean-up crew and arrived with tractors to push piles of dirt and rubbish into one pile. Usually a day or two later they come to remove it, but this time around they never arrived.”
At the time Badroodien assured residents of a clean-up at Fisherman’s Walk on Tuesday 23 January, with a promise to have organic material removed by Friday 26 January.
However, a week later residents claimed that the clean-up crew never completed collecting the waste.
In response to the claims, Badroodien said good progress was being made in cleaning-up the Little Lotus River canal that is plagued by illegal dumping.
“While the City’s Water and Sanitation teams are making good progress along the Little Lotus canal they discovered some of the material in it was outside the reach of the equipment on site.
“To resolve the matter a Bobcat machine is expected to be placed in the canal to remove the remaining material.”
He added that it was important to note that open canals remained vulnerable to illegal dumping by individuals.
“This has an impact on the cleanliness of the canal, which our teams have to attend to. Residents are reminded that they are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to 021 480 7700.”
Any information that leads to a successful arrest may result in a reward offered.
Meanwhile the City of Cape Town has appointed new contractors to assist with waste removal backlogs across the city while an independent investigation tries to determine waste management services challenges.
“The City previously commissioned an independent investigation into waste management services challenges and is currently following due process in this regard.
“In the interim, new contractors have been appointed where required and additional staff are being deployed to clear waste removal backlogs.”
