2016-02-22Staff Report 2 Ongwediva The Councillor for Ongenga Constituency Sakaria Haimudi plans to engage in talks to harvest floodwater and revive old dams to store water for both human and livestock consumption during dry spells. According to Haimudi the constituency has plenty of unutilised water during the rainy season, which could be harvested in times of drought. He said the stored water can also be used to create jobs by empowering unemployed youth to start up gardens to sustain their families and for commercial purposes. “In times when there is no water the stored water can be used to water gardens and assist government in fighting poverty,” said Haimudi. Haimudi expressed the ideas in a recent interview. Haimudi said that by harvesting water the burden on the residents of Ongenga will be eased. The area is often flooded causing schools to close. The Governor of Ohangwena Region Usko Nghaamwa expressed concern about the ongoing dry spell, saying the region is likely to again experience severe drought this year. Nghaamwa said that since the start of the rainy season the region has only received minimal rain which, he said, is not enough to grow crops. “We are experiencing drought during the rainy season and people are complaining that they do not have water,” said Nghaamwa. Nghaamwa made the remarks at the handover of houses at Eenhana recently. According to the governor both humans and livestock will soon compete for water because the region has no still-standing water. Apart from harvesting water, Haimudi said in his tenure he also wants the constituency to have accessible roads to be used to access service providers, even when the area is hit by floods. Previously, once the area is hit by floods the villagers are trapped because the roads become inaccessible. Similarly, Haimudi also plans to have the two remaining schools without electricity electrified. “This is not my job alone, we are a team and with the assistance of government we are going to strive to develop the constituency,” said Haimudi. 2016-02-22Staff Report 2
