Omahahi
Residents of the remote Omahahi village near Epembe in Ohangwena Region are embitterred about what they say is an absence of tangible development at their secluded settlement, that does not have piped water and proper sanitation 25 years after independence.
Haviing clean water to drink is their main concern, as they continue to source untreated water from wells.
They say the water is unfit for human consumption and they have requested the Epembe constituency office to at least provide them with water-purification tablets.
Inhabitants at the village expressed their displeasure last week when a New Era journalist visited one of the most underdeveloped settlements in Ohangwena Region.
“We drink unsterilized water from wells which does not go through filtration systems,” said one of the community members at Omahahi.He added: “The water is unsuitable for drinking and many people have gotten skin allergies from using the dirty water for washing. But what can we do?”
The only reliable source of water at Omahahi is an old well that ironically is owned by an individual and it serves up to 596 families together with livestock such as cattle and goats.
Most of the people still drink contaminated water and there are no toilets, and most of the people at that settlement use the bush to relieve themselves when nature calls.
“My concern is that the water that these people drink is the same water that the animals also drink, and the dams are nearby the bushes where all rubbish and unwanted materials are discarded,” one of the villagers complained.
“This is very bad for hygiene. Thus our government and lawmakers need to seriously push for the supply of clean water to the electorates countrywide, as the situation might lead to more sickness and high death rates,” said another villager who did not want to be named.
Villagers claim that they do not know the taste of clean water except when they go to Eenhana hospital to be treated.
They also revealed the water is so dirty it is not even useful for cooking porridge because the porridge cooked with the water changes its colour.