New water infrastructure at Sorris-Sorris

Farmers at Plaas Rooidak in the Sorris- Sorris communal conservancy have finally received potable water infrastructure after enduring 10 years without their own water source.

Conservancy chairperson Gerson //Aiseb on Saturday mentioned that the farmers and their animals had to get water from the nearest farm, which is situated about 20 kilometres away from Rooidak.

“I can confirm that the farm has been without water since 2009. I have witnessed the struggle the farmers at this farm have been going through but it is now a thing of the past thanks to the programmes of the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia,” he said.

//Aiseb said pumps for boreholes using a solar power generator were installed in June, enabling the farmers to pump water into the newly constructed dam and into the extra tanks that were installed.

The farm has more than five farmers who mostly depend on income from their livestock and the monthly government pension.

One of the farmers who spoke to Nampa, 62-year-old Anna Guruses, said she was resettled on the farm about 15 years ago.

Distance

“When we moved here, we did not have water problems, but the infrastructure got old and we could no longer pump water for ourselves and our animals.

We had to travel to a farm which is about 20 kilometres away for our consumption and for small livestock that are left behind when we take the ones that can move to drink water. I am happy that we finally have water,” she said.

Adolfine Garies, 80, who lost livestock over the years due to lack of water exacerbated by the drought, said she is grateful for the new development. “I am thankful that we no longer have to have headaches because of water shortages,” she said. - Nampa