MPUKU VILLAGE CALLS FOR BOREHOLE REHABILITATION - nbc

A borehole drilled at Mpuku village in 1972 has never supplied a single drop of water. Fifty-three years later, residents are calling on the Kavango West Regional Council to rehabilitate it. Residents of Mpuku village continue to walk long distances in search of water. They walk about 10 km to Nepara village or 15 km to Namungundu village. The villagers shared that the long-distance walk for water is also costing them their livestock. Speaking on behalf of the villagers, Wonzi Siranda shared that the villagers have been following up on the matter for over 15 years now but have received no positive response. "There was a year when the government introduced the rehabilitation of existing boreholes programme. Rural Water Supply was responsible for that program where we were informed to alert their office about old boreholes, and this one was one of the boreholes we brought to their attention. It is in their books. Many years have passed now. What we understood is that the programme was following up on the old boreholes to rehabilitate them for the community members to have water." Siranda says, apart from walking to the nearest village for water during the rainy season, the villagers and their livestock drink water from the Oshanas. The residents are now requesting the rural water supply attend to the borehole and see how they can be assisted. "We want them to come and install this borehole. This borehole has been in existence for a while now, or, just as they informed us, if they come and find that the water is not fit for consumption or that the borehole cannot be installed, they can drill for us another borehole; let them come and do that for us. We are really faced with a challenge." The Control Administrative Officer Regional Head at the Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation, Kavango West Region, Richard Shikongo, shared that they need time to verify the facts. Shikongo further added that the information gathered will tell who drilled the borehole and why it was not installed and the way forward. Shikongo calls on the affected community members to bear with his office as they investigate.