Ondangwa sewage crisis worsens
• Residents forced to evacuate their homes
Ondangwa CEO Ismael Namungongo says the situation with the sewer ponds has worsened, exposing residents of the town and nearby villagers to a serious health hazard.
The sewer pond walls collapsed in the town last week, affecting residents of Ext 5. So far, seven houses have been impacted by sewage water, forcing residents to abandon their homes.
By Monday this week, the sewage had reached villages, encroaching on Onambango village, where the Omukwaanilwa of Ondonga, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, resides.
When Namibian Sun visited the affected areas on Wednesday, the gravel road to Uukwiyu Uushona was covered in wastewater, and the road had been closed off as a result.
Villagers expressed frustration with the foul smell permeating the area, especially at night when it rains and the flow increases. The affected residents were also not at home, and their houses were locked.
The Oluno Correctional Facility yard is currently flooded with wastewater.
Extreme
Speaking to Namibian Sun on Wednesday, Namungongo said this is a long-standing issue that dates back to 2016/17, but this year, “it is dire”.
He said Ondangwa is one of the oldest settlement areas, and the ponds in the town were designed to cater only to a few houses in Oluno and Ondangwa Proper before independence.
“In 2016, we identified it as a problem, but the financial capacity of the council alone cannot allow us to reconstruct the dams, to revamp them or to modernise them,” Namugongo explained.
He said the council has conducted studies on how to accommodate the inflow of water, given that the town’s population has grown. He added that the urban ministry has also stepped in to assist the council with revamping the ponds.
Temporary solution
Namugongo said for now, council is containing the water as a temporary solution.
“To contain them, we have to strengthen the embankments of the ponds, and that is what we are doing. The situation has come to a normality now. After containing the water, we will start with the construction of a modern treatment plant,” he said.
He said that once the water is treated, even if the ponds overflow at some point, it will not pose a health hazard to residents, as it will be treated to a level where it can be used for the brick-making industry, irrigation systems for animal fodder, and so forth.
“The area around the ponds is big enough. We are going to move some houses to create enough space for agricultural purposes,” he added.
Millions needed
Namungongo said on Thursday that a meeting with consultants and internal engineers has been scheduled to advise the council on long-term solutions for constructing a sewer treatment plant, which will not be for human consumption but for agricultural use.
He said around N$150 to N$200 million is required for such a project.
So far, they have received N$15 million from the urban ministry and they plan to build the treatment plant over three financial years.
Namungongo warned residents not to catch fish from the ponds as they are contaminated. He added that security has been put in place to prevent any fishing activities.
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The sewer pond walls collapsed in the town last week, affecting residents of Ext 5. So far, seven houses have been impacted by sewage water, forcing residents to abandon their homes.
By Monday this week, the sewage had reached villages, encroaching on Onambango village, where the Omukwaanilwa of Ondonga, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, resides.
When Namibian Sun visited the affected areas on Wednesday, the gravel road to Uukwiyu Uushona was covered in wastewater, and the road had been closed off as a result.
Villagers expressed frustration with the foul smell permeating the area, especially at night when it rains and the flow increases. The affected residents were also not at home, and their houses were locked.
The Oluno Correctional Facility yard is currently flooded with wastewater.
Extreme
Speaking to Namibian Sun on Wednesday, Namungongo said this is a long-standing issue that dates back to 2016/17, but this year, “it is dire”.
He said Ondangwa is one of the oldest settlement areas, and the ponds in the town were designed to cater only to a few houses in Oluno and Ondangwa Proper before independence.
“In 2016, we identified it as a problem, but the financial capacity of the council alone cannot allow us to reconstruct the dams, to revamp them or to modernise them,” Namugongo explained.
He said the council has conducted studies on how to accommodate the inflow of water, given that the town’s population has grown. He added that the urban ministry has also stepped in to assist the council with revamping the ponds.
Temporary solution
Namugongo said for now, council is containing the water as a temporary solution.
“To contain them, we have to strengthen the embankments of the ponds, and that is what we are doing. The situation has come to a normality now. After containing the water, we will start with the construction of a modern treatment plant,” he said.
He said that once the water is treated, even if the ponds overflow at some point, it will not pose a health hazard to residents, as it will be treated to a level where it can be used for the brick-making industry, irrigation systems for animal fodder, and so forth.
“The area around the ponds is big enough. We are going to move some houses to create enough space for agricultural purposes,” he added.
Millions needed
Namungongo said on Thursday that a meeting with consultants and internal engineers has been scheduled to advise the council on long-term solutions for constructing a sewer treatment plant, which will not be for human consumption but for agricultural use.
He said around N$150 to N$200 million is required for such a project.
So far, they have received N$15 million from the urban ministry and they plan to build the treatment plant over three financial years.
Namungongo warned residents not to catch fish from the ponds as they are contaminated. He added that security has been put in place to prevent any fishing activities.
[email protected]
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