OTTAWA RESIDENTS UP IN ARMS OVER THE DEGENERATION AND DESTRUCTION OF THEIR RESIDENTIAL AREA

BY SUBRY GOVENDER The residents of Ottawa, near Verulam on the North Coast, are fed up with the continuing degeneration, degradation and destruction of their residential area despite repeated representations to the Ethekwini municipality. They expressed their anger at a public meeting held at the Ottawa community hall on Wednesday (March 8) evening. The residents are concerned about the filth, litter and garbage that engulfs the main road running through the town and in the complexes of businesses on the main road.

A long-time resident and civic activist, Mr Charles Govender, told the meeting that the degeneration of their residential area was aggravated by the motor scrap yards, panel beating shops, truck depots, and huge trucks that have rampaged the main road and the residential areas. “We have repeatedly taken up our concerns about the destruction of the residential environment with the municipality but there appears to be ‘we don’t care attitude’ ”, said Mr Govender.

Another resident, Dr Atom Dilraj, said a few residents had recently held talks with the Environmental Health officials of the municipality about the deteriorating state of affairs in Ottawa. “The municipal officials agreed with us that heavy industries such as trucking yards, panel beating shops, scrap yards, and the livestock business should not operate in our residential area,” he said. “The officials informed us that they will interact with other departments about our concerns. They have informed us that they have asked for concrete bins to be erected on the old main road. “However, we want to emphasise that we are pretty fed up with the trucks and huge vehicles that flout all regulations and drive through the residential roads, especially Munn-Riverview Roads, Maharaj Road and Kissoon Road and now along Sunker Road. It is noted that municipal officials appear to be dragging their heels in taking corrective measures against transgressors. This is noticed by new scrap yards starting up and operating in Maharaj Road,” he said.

The facilitator of the Ottawa Environment Forum, Ms Andisha Maharaj, told the meeting that as ratepayers and taxpayers, the residents were entitled to a clean and pollution-free environment. She said in terms of the constitution of the new democratic South Africa, residents were entitled to a safe and clean living environment. “The eThekwini municipality has failed miserably to take any action to restore the dignity of our residential area,” she said. “We have in our possession correspondence from eThekwini officials acknowledging that there are major problems with air quality in Ottawa. The main cause of the poor air quality is the foul stench emanating from the Phoenix Waste Water Treatment facility nearby. The ponds which were to have been dredged every 20 years has never been cleaned since its inception in 1982. “Complaints have been lodged with the Mayoral offices since 2002. Another major source of the foul smell is the livestock business which operates from unauthorized re-claimed land on the banks of the Ottawa River. “We are saying enough is enough. We seek relief from this dreadful situation and demand a 50 percent rates reduction,” she said. She emphasised that the deteriorating situation in Ottawa “is a direct violation of our human and constitutional rights”. “All operations such as trucking, container storage, scrap yards, and heavy industries must be immediately moved out of our residential area to industrial locations where they could operate without destroying the environment,” she said.

The residents also expressed their concerns that they had invited the councillor for the area to attend the meeting, but the councillor concerned failed to attend without any explanation. The residents decided that they would submit a detailed petition to the Mayor, Ms Zandile Gumede, about their concerns and demand a reduction in their rates because of the degeneration, degradation and destruction that have engulfed their residential area. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com