Durban - The digging of trenches which has raised the ire of residents of eNtabeni Road in Pinetown is part of a “major” water project by the eThekwini Municipality to address the water supply challenges in the area.
Ward 18 councillor Melanie Brauteseth, of the DA, said the digging is part of a major water project by the eThekwini Municipality to address water issues in the area brought about by ageing infrastructure water leaks.
Residents had written to The Mercury about the “endless digging” they said was becoming a growing risk to motorists and residents. They said they often saw Metro workers sitting next to the holes doing nothing.
One resident in the area said the eThekwini Metro has been digging on the road for a month.
“The holes that have been dug could swallow a car,” said the resident, adding that the digging seemed to be related to fixing water problems plaguing the area.
“Like the rest of Durban, the Metro workers are there digging holes. They do this one, and they move on to the next hole without closing the one they dug before,” he said.
“The situation is dangerous. There are all these big holes in the road, the danger tape (meant to warn residents about the holes) has fallen into the holes. And very often, one would find the Metro workers sitting there and not doing anything.”
Brauteseth said: “I have been pushing for the project to be carried out since the last council term, and they have finally started this month.”
She said that she would be meeting the project leaders in the coming weeks to get a sense of the “nitty-gritty” of the project, including the time frames and cost.
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said: “The construction work under way at eNtabeni Road, Pinetown, is part of the eNtabeni project, which is a pipe replacement project aimed at addressing frequent bursts due to aged water mains.
“The project began in June 2023 and is due to be completed in November 2023.”