Councilor Ganief Hendricks of the Al Jama-ah Party however has welcomed the R160 million third bulk sewer to deal with what he calls the “biggest stink” in the City.
At a sub-council meeting on Thursday 22 November at the Athlone Civic Centre, Ganief was asked if Bishops Court, Pinelands and Constantia, which has large catchment areas, were considered as alternative route options for the sewer line and pipes. He said it would double the costs.
The 18-month construction phase due to start in April next year will cause major disruption to traffic. But the City will mitigate other inconveniences like excessive dust, security, noise and access to residences.
Because Ryland’s is a largely Indian area with a diverse community comprising of Muslims, Hindus and Tamils, Ganief has complimented the consultants appointed by the City for taking into consideration some of the issues that may arise during construction. These include:
• Halting construction work on Fridays because of Jumu’ah prayers
• Providing special parking for musallees
• Any other issues that may affect the community at large.
Ganief also reiterated that if there were any plans to purify the sewerage for drinking purposes, the plans would have to be abandoned. However, he said all options would be considered if there is a shortage of drinking water.
In recent times, the Ulama in Durban faced a similar problem. They issued a fatwa that such water could not be used for whudu (ablution) purposes.
Hendricks has urged residents affected to participate in the process and consider all possible route options for the sewer line.
He said the third sewer has to be built as the “stink” has deteriorated during the past seven years and raw sewerage has often seeped around Masjidul Quds. The other two sewers has to be overhauled and does not have the capacity to serve 700 000 residents.
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