Residents voice concerns over soil stockpiling health risks

SOME Atholl Heights, Westville, residents have raised the alarm over uncontrolled soil stockpiling at a municipal site, claiming it posed serious health risks and degraded their neighbourhood.

- MONISHKA GOVENDER

They have demanded immediate action from local authorities.

Pat Reddy, a concerned resident and the chairman of the area's project steering committee, said it had been agreed four months ago that the site be used by the municipality for 15 months as its administrative base for the southern aqueduct upgrade.

He said as per the verbal agreement with residents, the site was not to be used for stockpiling sand.

Residents claim the municipality had backtracked on the agreement, and the stockpiled sand was impacting their daily lives, making the area unsightly and dusty.

"When we agreed to the site to be commissioned in our park, we were not told about the uncontrolled soil stockpiling.

"We were told it was for admin purposes and would only have containers on the site," said Reddy.

"The relationship was smooth until the construction company started stockpiling soil, which was excavated from the nearby pipeline project.