RUNDU – Sikondo green scheme project assistant manager Maxwell Nghidinwa has revealed the fire that engulfed the green scheme project last week caused damage amounting to N$350,000 at the medium scale section (MSF) of the government farm.
Over a week ago workers at the Sikondo irrigation project 10 km west of Rundu in Kavango West Region with the assistance of the Rundu Town Council fire department had to put out the fire that caused damage to the project’s irrigation facilities.
“The fire burnt some of the micro-irrigation pipes of the medium-scale farmers with the damage of the burnt irrigation pipes estimated to be at N$350,000.
“Due to the dry grass and stalks from the previous millet crop surrounding the micro-irrigated lands … the fire quickly spread and crossed to the medium-scale farmers,” Nghidinwa said.
The damage includes pipes of various sizes (such as 25mm, 30 mm and 40mm), micro-jets, valves and drip irrigation pipes. The pipes that got damaged are on one stretch of the farm measuring 16.8 hectares.
New Era was further informed by the assistant manager that at about 13h40 that Saturday a security guard notified the managers about a column of smoke on the eastern boundary fence of the project next to the dry land where the project plants millet and sunflower.
The fire is said to have started at the section which is not being used for cultivation and with the help of the wind it migrated to the medium-scale farmers section and was on its way to the main commercial section/fields where government cultivates various crops but the fire was contained before it could spread further and cause more damage.
The Rundu Town Council fire department was called to assist in putting out the fire.
“On behalf of the entire management staff, we want to express our gratitude to the brave men of the Rundu fire brigade – if it was not for their swift response the fire could have crossed to the management houses,” Nghidinwa said.