ONGWEDIVA - Farmers at the Kharas phase at the Etunda Irrigation Project in Omusati Region charge that they have not had water for two weeks, resulting in some of their crops dying.
The farmers allege they have lost hectares of maize, butternuts and cabbage.

While the Kharas phase struggled with water, the Etunda phase had uninterrupted water supply. 
The farmers said the water shortages were coupled with electricity cutoffs and issues with the Calueque-Oshakati canal, which took longer to resolve.

The farmers rely mostly on the canal to water their crops.
 “Our crops did not receive enough water during the two weeks. At one point, we had to put up a water schedule in order to accommodate everyone; however, when it was our turn, there was no water,” said a farmer who chose to remain anonymous.

The farmers further claim that they have lost out on the money used to purchase fertiliser and treatment used to produce healthy crops.

They also claim no official from the ministry of agriculture visited them to assess the situation.
Agriculture ministry spokesperson, Jona Musheko, refuted claims that the water supply has been interrupted for two weeks. 

He said the water supply was only affected by a power outage, which affected the whole of Omusati Region.
Another instance, according to Musheko, was caused by a blockage of the pumps used to extract water from the canal. He affirmed that the issue was resolved, explaining that the blockage was caused by leaves.