Parents in Hout Bay are urged to keep their children away from recently vandalised stormwater ponds – used to prevent flooding – which are now being used as swimming pools.
Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas warned of the safety hazard it poses for children swimming in two stormwater ponds. Children, who have been able to gain access to these ponds because of the vandalised gates, are now blocking and obstructing the flow from these ponds causing it to dam up. The ponds are then used as swimming pools,” Quintas said.
“The water is not treated and therefore unsuitable for swimming and recreational use, frankly those getting into the pond put their health at risk,” he adds.
Increased chances of drowning adds to the safety danger since children are not being supervised by adults when swimming. The two stormwater ponds are located along Hout Bay Main Road, adjacent to the informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu (IY) and acts as a preventative measure to flooding of roads and homes during the rainy season.
Quintas reveals the gates surrounding the storm water ponds are continuously vandalised, and is wasting public funds.
“We do this because we care and place the safety of our residents at the centre of our service delivery. However, this cannot be allowed to continue. It is costly and is a safety hazard,” he said. Residents of IY and Hout Bay are asked to report any incident of vandalism to the ward councillor, street committee and police – Hout Bay Police Station is situated near the two stormwater ponds, below IY.
The gates surrounding the ponds are being assessed in order to speedily repair or replace it, however no time frame regarding how long it will take has been stated.
Source: IOL
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