No will in Amarika water crisis
Despite intervention from the prime minister, there is still no end in sight to the water problems plaguing the people of Amarika.
The water woes of the Amarika community appear to be eternal. Despite a visit by the deputy minister in the Office of the Vice-President responsible for marginalised people, Royal /Ui/o/oo, and intervention from Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, nothing appears to be done.
The governor for Omusati Region, Erginus Endjala, has confirmed that all efforts to address the water crisis at Amarika have failed. He described the situation as a disaster and said providing non-purified saline groundwater was the only solution.
It is reported that the Division of Rural Water Supply cannot afford to pump potable water to Amarika from Okeeholongo, about 25 kilometres away. Therefore, the only hope for Amarika is to use water meant for livestock, from boreholes drilled by the Ministry of Land Reform at Okatumba village about 55 kilometres away.
It is not yet known what the quality of this water is. The underground water at Amarika was declared unfit for animal and human consumption some years ago by the health ministry.
According to Endjala, last year the land reform ministry set up two boreholes at Okatumbe village in the Ongandjera West grazing area to supply to water to Amarika. He said he was informed that this water could be used by humans. However, the ministry says this water is not purified and not fit for human consumption, but for animal consumption only.
“It is of no use if we are supplying water for animals only, while there is no water for people. We will make sure that people also make use of this water. The ministry of lands informed me that the water can be used for humans also,” Endjala said.
He said the project was almost completed. “Once we are done there we will make a provision to supply water to for humans to Amarika and this will include the hostel and clinic.”
However, a source from the lands ministry told Namibian Sun that this water was not purified for human use.
The lands ministry earmarked the Amarika farming area as a block for small-scale farming, but there was no water for animals. They then decided to drill boreholes at Okatumbe village.
“This water is mainly for livestock and not for human consumption. The idea is to enhance the farmers of Amarika to start farming productively. Currently their animals are using water not healthy for their animals,” source said.
“This water is only going up to the farming area but not to Amarika village itself. Farmers are expected to farm healthy animals for market purposes.”
There is a desalination plant at Amarika that was donated by Germany, but it is not a reliable source of water because it keeps breaking down.
“According to the report I get from Rural Water Supply they do not have enough pressure to pump water to Amarika. Otherwise they may need an extra water booster for water to reach Amarika.
“Onghaangha has underground pipes connected to Otamanzi for many years, but due to low pressure they also have no water until now,” Endjala said.
Early this year Endjala confirmed that all efforts to address the water crisis at Amarika had failed. He described the situation as a disaster. He also confirmed that the N$200 million desalination plant donated by Germany was no longer a reliable source and that the region had no capacity to fix it.
According to Endjala, most of the communities in Omusati have potable water except the people of Amarika and surrounding areas. The village of Amarika is situated about 70km south of Okahao.
In 2006, the German/Namibia research project CuveWaters, through Integrated Water Resources Management and using funds from the German education and research ministry (BMBF), installed two solar-powered desalination plants at Amarika and Akutsima for N$200 million.
Amarika residents said the plant was broken for two years from 2013 until it was repaired in 2015 but the plant pumped water for just one month and broke down again.
Local people who were trained were only shown how to operate the system and maintain external components but they were not taught how to maintain the technical and electronic aspects of the water system.
ILENI NANDJATO
The governor for Omusati Region, Erginus Endjala, has confirmed that all efforts to address the water crisis at Amarika have failed. He described the situation as a disaster and said providing non-purified saline groundwater was the only solution.
It is reported that the Division of Rural Water Supply cannot afford to pump potable water to Amarika from Okeeholongo, about 25 kilometres away. Therefore, the only hope for Amarika is to use water meant for livestock, from boreholes drilled by the Ministry of Land Reform at Okatumba village about 55 kilometres away.
It is not yet known what the quality of this water is. The underground water at Amarika was declared unfit for animal and human consumption some years ago by the health ministry.
According to Endjala, last year the land reform ministry set up two boreholes at Okatumbe village in the Ongandjera West grazing area to supply to water to Amarika. He said he was informed that this water could be used by humans. However, the ministry says this water is not purified and not fit for human consumption, but for animal consumption only.
“It is of no use if we are supplying water for animals only, while there is no water for people. We will make sure that people also make use of this water. The ministry of lands informed me that the water can be used for humans also,” Endjala said.
He said the project was almost completed. “Once we are done there we will make a provision to supply water to for humans to Amarika and this will include the hostel and clinic.”
However, a source from the lands ministry told Namibian Sun that this water was not purified for human use.
The lands ministry earmarked the Amarika farming area as a block for small-scale farming, but there was no water for animals. They then decided to drill boreholes at Okatumbe village.
“This water is mainly for livestock and not for human consumption. The idea is to enhance the farmers of Amarika to start farming productively. Currently their animals are using water not healthy for their animals,” source said.
“This water is only going up to the farming area but not to Amarika village itself. Farmers are expected to farm healthy animals for market purposes.”
There is a desalination plant at Amarika that was donated by Germany, but it is not a reliable source of water because it keeps breaking down.
“According to the report I get from Rural Water Supply they do not have enough pressure to pump water to Amarika. Otherwise they may need an extra water booster for water to reach Amarika.
“Onghaangha has underground pipes connected to Otamanzi for many years, but due to low pressure they also have no water until now,” Endjala said.
Early this year Endjala confirmed that all efforts to address the water crisis at Amarika had failed. He described the situation as a disaster. He also confirmed that the N$200 million desalination plant donated by Germany was no longer a reliable source and that the region had no capacity to fix it.
According to Endjala, most of the communities in Omusati have potable water except the people of Amarika and surrounding areas. The village of Amarika is situated about 70km south of Okahao.
In 2006, the German/Namibia research project CuveWaters, through Integrated Water Resources Management and using funds from the German education and research ministry (BMBF), installed two solar-powered desalination plants at Amarika and Akutsima for N$200 million.
Amarika residents said the plant was broken for two years from 2013 until it was repaired in 2015 but the plant pumped water for just one month and broke down again.
Local people who were trained were only shown how to operate the system and maintain external components but they were not taught how to maintain the technical and electronic aspects of the water system.
ILENI NANDJATO
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