– Some restaurants discard fats indiscriminately causing blockages
– Households also responsible discarding fats and objects into the system
– Overflowing sewerage leave abhorrent stench in Maun’s Old mall
– Waste and waste water pump stations also emitting smell
– Restaurant admits to non-compliance
Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has placed the blame for the sewerage drain overflows in Maun old mall on the door step of some restaurants operating in the mall. The blockages have led to abhorrent stench in the Maun and also other parts of Maun.
The corporation has further threatened to disconnect businesses that do not comply with Trade Effluent Agreement by disposing their waste indiscriminately leading to blockages.
According WUC Services Maun Branch Manager Paul Mafavuneh Mafavuneh, the same cause of the problem extend to sewerage drain overflows and pump stations in some other parts of Maun. This include the one by RAC traffic, Ngami Toyota Four-way and behind Career Dreams Complex.
“The blockages in those areas is caused by people throwing items such as sanitary pads and rubles into the system,” Mafavuneh explained.
The area in front of major food outlets in the old mall has for some time been experiencing drain overflows and awful stench from raw sewerage that then flows on the parking area. The area is one of the busiest spots in the mall, with restaurants, butchery, taxi operators who pick and drop passengers, as well as small business operators and a hotel.
The pollution this causes is said to drive way customers and general hygiene and public health is greatly compromised.
Mafavuneh explained that the drainage system overflows as a result of businesses that do not comply with lawful disposal of waste.
Mafavuneh stated that each and every business operating within the mall has to sign a Trade Effluent Agreement which bonds the business owners to comply. In the agreement it is stated that waste should be disposed in the rightful manner but so far compliance, has been a challenge.
Mafavuneh noted that most of the sewage system is blocked by cooking fats from restaurants in the area. He explained that restaurants should have a grease trap system which stops fat passing through and blocking the sewage system. But so far, most restaurants within the old mall lack that.
He has threatened to disconnect those who are not compliant, as the sewerage causes pollution in the mall and affects the public.
In a strange turn of events, Choice Restaurant owner Samir Patel has acknowledged the problem on their side, confessing to be one of the restaurants that do not dispose waste in a proper manner.
He admitted that they do not have a grease trap that separates waste but instead that they just let all the restaurant waste flow away into the system. Acknowledging their fault, Patel indicated that they will be attending to the matter soon. Patel decried the issue is causing a problem to them as a sit-in restaurant since customers cannot have their food in an environment so polluted.
For his part, Nandos Maun Branch Manager, Ompoetse Ntema noted that his restaurant is complies with the set standards of disposing waste.
“We have a grease trap which aids in trapping restaurant fat while disposing waste. The trapped fat is then collected and thrown into disposing bags for proper discarding,” Ntema explained. Ntema complained about the smell that comes from the overflowing drain in their neighborhood lamenting that the problem is also a concern to their customers.
