KNYSNA NEWS - After numerous complaints by the public, Knysna Municipality's Infrastructure Services directorate has rolled up its sleeves to maintain the municipal area's infrastructure.
In a press statement last week, Acting Municipal Manager Dawid Adonis said despite facing constant challenges, the directorate continues to fulfill its obligation of maintaining the municipal area's integral infrastructure and systems.
"The roads and storm water department performed general road maintenance, including the filling of potholes, to an area of 1 105m² during March and April this year. Five kilometres of gravel roads were bladed and re-gravelled and 3 178m of storm water pipes and open drains were cleaned," he said.
Electricity
Adonis said with load shedding wreaking havoc over the last few weeks, the electrotechnical department ensures that the current flows when it is available. "Our internally funded informal areas electrification programme will make a number of connections throughout five of our wards, with our formal housing electrification programme connecting 235 households to the grid.
"The Brackenhill streetlight project was completed at the end of March and our three-year capital works programme will see maintenance and upgrades done to the Brenton substation, Eastford substation and Hornlee-Oupad MV line. Upgrades are also underway at the workshop substation in Union Street."
Key electrical infrastructure that has been vandalised.
Water and sewerage
Adonis said that the water and sewer department had responded to more than 210 water complaints during April 2021. "The department also responded to over 130 sewer complaints during the same calendar month, produced more than 400 megalitres of water and processed over 200 megalitres of effluent.
All the while seeing to the day-to-day responsibilities of water truck deliveries, water meter installations, cleaning of sewer pump stations, work orders for mechanical and electrical breakdowns and other related maintenance activities."
Challenges
According to Adonis, the understaffed department specifically must contend with an increase in incidents of vandalism and theft, plant breakdowns, workshop overloads, load shedding and Covid-19 challenges.
"We have learned that challenges are opportunities that are waiting to be identified as such, and to be harnessed to our advantage. Our headway in terms of maintaining and extending our electrotechnical infrastructure is testament to our commitment to service delivery, and to creating an inclusive, innovative, inspired Knysna," he said.
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