About 80 per cent of Ohangwena Region’s inhabitants have access to clean drinking water, according to the National Council Standing Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources.

The information was obtained from the region’s head of rural water supply, when the committee visited the region between February and March this year.

According to official statistics, the region is the second highest populated in Namibia, with 245 446 people.

In terms of water supply, Ohangwena has success stories to tell, if the report is anything to go by.

For instance, the region has about 1 086 water points of which 288 are boreholes, 828 points on pipeline, 8 073 private off-takes for individual households and 11, earth dams.

The region’s water point committees in the region are established, trained and fully functional.

More so, the development of the Ohangwena Aquifer II has been underway for the past three years.

Meanwhile, nine deep boreholes were drilled, tapping water form Aquifer II of which eight are fully installed.

At present, 48 water points in rural areas, including schools, are getting water from Aquifer II’s boreholes.

However, some challenges remain as far as provision of clean water is concerned.

In the Epembe and Omundaungilo constituencies, boreholes were drilled but the saline underground water is unfit for human consumption.

Ageing water infrastructure (pipes and water pumping machines) and ageing fleet remain a cause for concern in the region.

The last time the ministry acquired new vehicles was in 2013.

The committee made some recommendations to resolve the challenges. It recommended that adequate budgetary allocation must be availed to the Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination for the maintenance of ageing water infrastructure.

“The moratorium on procuring new vehicles [must] be lifted without delay,” it added.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency