Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) on Saturday pumped water from Olushandja South wall outlet into the Etaka-Uuvudhiya earth canal, which stretches across 130 kilometers.
The raw water is fit only for livestock consumption and agriculture purposes.
NamWater Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abraham Nehemia, said that the exercise was done due to previous and recurrent prevalent drought reported in the northern part of the country.
Nehemia indicated that the Office of Prime Minister allocated N.dollar 3 million to ensure the completion of the project.
‘Households are expected to utilise the water for their daily needs, especially gardening for nutritional purposes,’ he said.
He added that they are confident that the water will be available in the dam to supply the canal until the rainy season.
Nehemia also indicated that they are expecting the new pumps at Calueque to be commissioned soon, adding that NamWater is strategically looking into the rehabilitation of most of its infrastructure in order to ensure sustainable water supply up to the year 2037 as a planning horizon.
Speaking during the same occassion on Saturday at Etaka dam, Omusati Governor, Erginus Endjala, said for the past 5 years, they did not really receive sufficient rainfall, which has affected many people living alongside the west of the canal, including Oshana and Oshikoto regions.
Endjala said that this is a game changer for people living along the canal, as their livestock will have water throughout the dry season.
He then urged community members to guard against the vandalism of the canal.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency