THE Ongwediva Town Council has confirmed that sewage from its oxidation ponds has been overflowing into the nearby oshana downstream.
The council’s spokesperson, Jackson Muma, told Nampa in an interview on Monday that the ponds were repaired on Saturday, but sewage started overflowing on Sunday.
He attributed the overflow to the town’s fast growth in resident numbers as well as businesses.
“The council would like to inform the residents in the vicinity of the oxidation ponds that we are experiencing an unfortunate situation, and would like to strictly urge the public not to catch or consume fish coming with sewage water because it is a health risk,” he stated, adding that contact with sewage water must be avoided at all costs.
Muma pointed out that the overflow comes at a time when the council is busy trying to find permanent solutions to this persistent problem, and that the council and the community must jointly come up with interventions such as finding feasible ways to treat the water from the ponds, and reusing it for farming activities.
The spokesperson further indicated that a cost analysis for erecting culverts in case of unforeseen overflows in future is another possible intervention by the council to address the situation. Plans are likewise envisaged to compensate owners of traditional homesteads in the downstream areas, and relocate them permanently.
Muma said the overflow started during the 2015/16 financial year when the council constructed an additional pond, and cleaned the others at a cost of some N$7 million.
He could not say how many ponds there are as some of them have been merged.
The areas most affected are Oshinyadhila, Elyambala, Efidi and the National Housing Enterprise houses’ area.
Villagers told this news agency on Tuesday that the construction of more ponds and the proper rehabilitation of existing infrastructure could be the solution to the problem.
“This sewer water smells badly and is a health hazard,” said one of the villagers, Johannes Lucas.
– Nampa
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