Ongwediva residents fear waterborne diseases
Pollution caused by an overflowing sewer at Ongwediva is causing fears of waterborne illnesses as the rainy season gets into full swing.
Residents claim that the town council has not responded to their complaints. They say a sewer near the Galaxy Hotel and Namibia Fish Consumption business area has been overflowing for weeks, turning a nearby oshana into a reeking cesspool. With the rainy season fast approaching, residents fear that if the issue is not addressed soon it might result in an epidemic of waterborne diseases such as cholera and hepatitis E. The residents are also concerned about pollution of the groundwater.
Because oshanas are linked and many people live next to them, they say it's impossible to know whether the water in a particular oshana is contaminated.
“We have reported this matter to the council many times but they do not respond. I don't understand why the council is not addressing the issue.
“The sewerage is going into the oshana and some people drink this water and yet the Ongwediva town council is ignoring it,” one resident said. In Windhoek, close to 300 cases of hepatitis E have been reported in informal settlements with poor sanitation. When contacted for comment, Ongwediva council spokesperson Jackson Muma acknowledged that the council had received complaints about the overflowing sewer.
He said the council does maintain sewers from time to time, but they become blocked again when people flush solid objects down the drain.
“Yes we received some reports regarding that one and we're working on it. In fact that is not the only one, there is also another one which is giving us problems but we maintain them,” Muma said.
Muma said the council would look into the matter.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Residents claim that the town council has not responded to their complaints. They say a sewer near the Galaxy Hotel and Namibia Fish Consumption business area has been overflowing for weeks, turning a nearby oshana into a reeking cesspool. With the rainy season fast approaching, residents fear that if the issue is not addressed soon it might result in an epidemic of waterborne diseases such as cholera and hepatitis E. The residents are also concerned about pollution of the groundwater.
Because oshanas are linked and many people live next to them, they say it's impossible to know whether the water in a particular oshana is contaminated.
“We have reported this matter to the council many times but they do not respond. I don't understand why the council is not addressing the issue.
“The sewerage is going into the oshana and some people drink this water and yet the Ongwediva town council is ignoring it,” one resident said. In Windhoek, close to 300 cases of hepatitis E have been reported in informal settlements with poor sanitation. When contacted for comment, Ongwediva council spokesperson Jackson Muma acknowledged that the council had received complaints about the overflowing sewer.
He said the council does maintain sewers from time to time, but they become blocked again when people flush solid objects down the drain.
“Yes we received some reports regarding that one and we're working on it. In fact that is not the only one, there is also another one which is giving us problems but we maintain them,” Muma said.
Muma said the council would look into the matter.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article