Nuusita Ashipala
Oshiku shaLaban
Recent heavy rains have brought floods with shoals of fish in the flooded plains (oshanas), however, contrary to reports of floods (efundja), the hydrologist responsible for the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin in northern Namibia said there are no floods from Angola.
“There is no inflow of water from Angola, which is what we regard as flood. There is no imminent threat of flood for now in the Cuvelai,” explained Leonard Hango, hydrologist with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry based in Oshakati.
He said some of the streams are even drier and lower than the normal levels compared to the same period last year. “We are in close contact with the Angolan department of water affairs, they are giving us information of any imminent oncoming threats so that we can also inform the nation accordingly,” he said. In addition, the devices monitoring the water levels at the border indicated the water levels were still normal and that the water in the streams is rainwater.
Hango said currently only three stream channels are flowing – at Okambebe, Okanwa village and Outapi West.
He said the fish being caught along the road are from the earth dams in the floodplains and those that remained in stagnant water from last year’s rains.
The heavy downpours are a relief to Oshiko shaLaban residents who have now resorted to fishing to earn an income to support their families as well as use some of the catch for food. The fish is being sold to customers passing by from Oshakati or en route to Oshakati.
Efraim Tshithigona, one of those fishing along the road, said that currently there are not many fish in the water, but the residents are hopeful that with the speed at which the water is flowing they will be able to catch more small and even big fish.
According to Tshithigona the water started flowing from Sunday. “Last year around this time we caught a lot of sardines and even bigger fish – maybe the number will increase in the coming weeks,” stated Tshithigona.
Apart from fishing, the residents also unblocked one of the bridges along the road to ease the flow of water and to keep the road from being flooded.
The bridge was blocked by heaps of sand, preventing the water to flow.