Otjisepa calls for speedy repair of boreholes
Repair work on three broken boreholes at villages at Otjisepa in the Okakarara constituency, is expected to be completed in April.
The boreholes have been out of order since 2017 and the agriculture ministry last week deployed six workers to the various sites to have them repaired.
Community members however complained to Nampa that work stopped, because of Independence Day, on both Thursday and Friday.
One of the workers, Canisius Katataiza told Nampa this week that on Monday, the ministry had deployed six handymen to Otjisepa and by 15:00 on Monday, work on one of the boreholes was completed and it was ready to be used.
“We are working on the second borehole now. This borehole has a problem with its pumping element that fell into the hole because the bottom galvanising pipe was loose,” he said.
Katataiza said the repairs started last Tuesday, but stopped on Thursday and Friday for the celebration of the 29th Independence Day.
He also said his team commutes daily from Okakarara, situated over 100 kilometres away as there is not enough money for the subsistence allowances if the workers were to camp at Otjisepa.
The community members questioned why work stopped and asked that it be sped up as water from the boreholes is used for both human and animal consumption.
Otjisepa traditional leader Nani Ndjaukua said his community has been fetching water from an earthen dam, which animals also drink from, since the boreholes broke.
“We are in a crisis. Water is a challenge here, worse now as the water levels in our earthen dam also continue to decrease,” he said.
Ndjaukua said more than 1 500 cattle, goats and sheep survive from the earthen dam.
His wife, Kunene Ndjaukua said she fetches water in containers from the earthen dam in the early hours of the day, before the livestock start drinking.
“They are busy fixing the boreholes but they need to speed it up,” she said.
The boreholes are situated some distance away from each other.
NAMPA
The boreholes have been out of order since 2017 and the agriculture ministry last week deployed six workers to the various sites to have them repaired.
Community members however complained to Nampa that work stopped, because of Independence Day, on both Thursday and Friday.
One of the workers, Canisius Katataiza told Nampa this week that on Monday, the ministry had deployed six handymen to Otjisepa and by 15:00 on Monday, work on one of the boreholes was completed and it was ready to be used.
“We are working on the second borehole now. This borehole has a problem with its pumping element that fell into the hole because the bottom galvanising pipe was loose,” he said.
Katataiza said the repairs started last Tuesday, but stopped on Thursday and Friday for the celebration of the 29th Independence Day.
He also said his team commutes daily from Okakarara, situated over 100 kilometres away as there is not enough money for the subsistence allowances if the workers were to camp at Otjisepa.
The community members questioned why work stopped and asked that it be sped up as water from the boreholes is used for both human and animal consumption.
Otjisepa traditional leader Nani Ndjaukua said his community has been fetching water from an earthen dam, which animals also drink from, since the boreholes broke.
“We are in a crisis. Water is a challenge here, worse now as the water levels in our earthen dam also continue to decrease,” he said.
Ndjaukua said more than 1 500 cattle, goats and sheep survive from the earthen dam.
His wife, Kunene Ndjaukua said she fetches water in containers from the earthen dam in the early hours of the day, before the livestock start drinking.
“They are busy fixing the boreholes but they need to speed it up,” she said.
The boreholes are situated some distance away from each other.
NAMPA
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