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Groundwater Discovery Lifts Farmers’ Hopes

Home Archived Groundwater Discovery Lifts Farmers’ Hopes

By Kuvee Kangueehi

GOBABIS

The acting Chief Controller of Rural Water Supply in the Omaheke Region Fanie Oosthuizen says groundwater, which has been discovered at the Eiseb-Graben in the Eiseb Block will cater for the water demands of many farmers in the Omaheke region.

Speaking to the New Era yesterday, Oosthuizen said the amount of groundwater reserves in the Eiseb-Graben was enormous and of good quality.

Oosthuizen said his ministry had drilled two boreholes and the water was enough to supply the local community as well as further surrounding areas such as Otjinene Constituency and Otjombinde Constituency.

He said that the water had been discovered in the virgin lands and the amount of water was enough to supply 20 farming units with water. A study was being done for the NDP 3 for government to construct a pipeline to provide water to areas such as Otjombinde that is struggling with water.

He said that the discovery of the water was significant as the area was currently facing a dry season and the underground water levels had dropped.

He said his ministry last year spent over N$400 000 to drill two boreholes in Otjombinde and Epukiro but did not find any water.

Oosthuizen also said that his ministry had been experiencing more problems of dry boreholes and the region needed good rains for a period of five to 10 years for the under ground water levels to rise again.

He said that of the seven constituencies in the Omaheke Region, Aminuis Constituency hardly faced water problems because the area had plenty of water, which was also close to the earth surface. He however said that the area was facing serious problem of overgrazing as many farmers had too much livestock.

Oosthuizen also revealed that his ministry during the financial year 2006/07 spent over N$6,4 million in upgrading the water supply infrastructure in the region. He said that most of the money was used to buy new pipes, engines, building dams, cylinders and water tanks.

During this financial year, he noted, the ministry in the region would spend a bulk of its budget mainly on drilling new boreholes as some boreholes were already dry.