Oshikoto: Desalination plants and reverse osmosis systems will be constructed in the Oshikoto Region to provide a permanent solution to water shortages affecting households, livestock, and agriculture. The projects are expected to take three to four months to complete, with construction set to begin after the rainy season and finish before August this year.According to Namibia Press Agency, Oshikoto Governor Sacky Kathindi, accompanied by officials from NamWater, the Oshikoto Regional Council, and the KWF Foundation, inspected several boreholes in King Nehale LyaMpingana, Cham-Cham village, and Oshivelo to assess the water situation. Kathindi stated that Oshikoto's underground water is largely saline, necessitating the use of desalination plants and reverse osmosis systems to make it fit for human and agricultural use.Kathindi explained that due to the region's dry conditions and saline underground water, desalination plants and reverse osmosis systems are essential to remove the salt. The extracted salt will be utilized for aquaculture. Without water, the dream of food security in the region cannot be realized, he emphasized. The planned desalination plants will operate off-grid, eliminating the need for electricity, and each borehole will be connected to an offtake pipeline of between five and ten kilometers to supply potable water to communities and livestock.Oshikoto Head of Rural Water Supply, Stephenson Tuukondjele, announced that the government, through NamWater, will construct the Omutsegonime-King Kauluma water supply project at Oshivelo, where two boreholes have good quality water. The pipeline will supply water from Oshivelo to Omutsegonime and Omuthiya, with branches into rural communities to eliminate water scarcity. The three inspected boreholes will support community gardens, household consumption, and livestock watering.The team will also visit Elambo and other villages to identify sites for desalination facilities, with the first plants earmarked for the Olundje and Evale villages. Tuukon djele noted that the aim is to secure these desalination projects as soon as the rainy season ends, targeting completion before August. It takes three to four months to set up the facilities. He urged communities to remain patient, assuring them that the government is working to address the region's water challenges.