GQEBERHA – Truckloads of tyres, rubble, rags and other waste have been removed from blocked sewer lines in Chatty, prompting the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to intensify calls for residents to help protect critical sanitation infrastructure and prevent health hazards in their communities.

The findings emerged during an inspection of sanitation manholes in Chatty, conducted by the municipality’s Sanitation Sub-directorate as part of its ongoing service delivery monitoring and oversight programme.

According to the municipality, several manholes were found to be heavily blocked by items such as rubble, rags, sanitary products and vehicle tyres.

Approximately six manholes have been affected, leading to significant blockages along the main sewer line and causing sewer overflows in residential areas.

According to the municipality, Chatty remains one of the metro’s most affected areas when it comes to sanitation blockages and spillages.

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe warned that the blockages pose a serious public health threat, particularly to children.

“We need our people to work with us because all these spillages caused by foreign objects blocking our infrastructure end up in people’s yards and pose a risk, especially to children who play outside,” she said.

“We need to protect our sanitation infrastructure for our own wellbeing and for the safety of our children.”

Municipal teams deployed to the area last week worked to clear the affected manholes, removing truckloads of waste and foreign objects from the sewer network.

The municipality said the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, which coordinates service delivery oversight, has intensified public awareness campaigns aimed at educating residents about the responsible use of sanitation infrastructure.

The awareness drive will be expanded across the metro, with particular attention being given to areas frequently affected by sewer blockages and spillages, including KwaZakhele, the Northern Areas, Veeplaas, Soweto-on-Sea and Walmer Township.

Municipal officials have urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly and avoid using the sewer system as a dumping site, warning that such practices not only damage infrastructure but also place communities at risk of environmental contamination and disease outbreaks.

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