ONAKANKUZI – Residents of Onakankuzi village in Omuthiya constituency of Oshikoto region, have expressed concern over water shortages in their village.
A total of 97 residents from 94 households attended a village meeting on Thursday where they expressed concern over the challenges they face in securing water, to the various directorates of the Oshikoto regional council.
The village headman, Leevi Nangolo explained that they have a critical challenge of water and urged NamWater to connect a pipeline to their village because people currently depend on traditional wells.
Nangolo said residents of his village depend on salty and smelly water from traditional wells and thus urged the regional council to construct an earth dam for their animals.
“People are also abusing drugs, fighting and committing crimes such as stock theft,” added Nangolo.
He said people lacked recreational and sanitation facilities as well as electricity.
The representative of the directorate of water supply and sanitation, Asser Iimbondi, urged the community to follow the correct procedures to have a pipeline connected to the village.
“You should write a letter specifying how many households and animals will benefit from this water connection and the distance it will cover in kilometres to the regional council and the directorate of rural water supply,” said Iimbondi.
He advised the people to stop complaining that they do not have water in their houses and act, so they can access the water.
“We need to step up, people should come and remind us at our offices that they need water,” said Iimbondi.
He further said people have a tendency of taking things for granted once they get the water and, in such cases, stop paying their water bills.
“If you do not pay your water bills, we will cut your water supplies,” he said.
Iimbondi further said if the community wants water tankers, they should organise themselves and go to NamWater and pay to get water.
Oshikoto regional council chairperson, Samuel Shivute was accompanied by various directorate officials from the regional council such as the directorate of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare, directorate of water supply, sanitation and coordination and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Social Services.
Shivute encouraged the residents of
Onakankuzi village to refrain from criminal activities. -Nampa