Namwater has completed the construction of the water canal at a cost of N$93.5 million.

The construction of a 5.8-kilometer canal, which stretches from Omahenene to Olushandja in the Omusati Region, commenced in February last year.

The project is part of the reconstruction of the entire water canal, which measures about 150 kilometers from Omahenene to Oshakati in the Oshana Region.

Speaking at the commissioning of the canal, the Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, says the government has set aside ten billion dollars to improve access to potable water by both humans and animals across the country.

Schlettwein says the refurbished canal will also be used for irrigation purposes in agriculture.

"As a bulk water supplier, Namwater has the government's full support to ensure that bulk water infrastructure is functional, as it forms the backbone of supply networks in the rural communities that the department of water affairs through the directorate of water supply and sanitation coordination is responsible for."

The minister called on those living along the water canal and horticulture producers to desist from damaging the canal by pumping water from it with heavy machinery, as this will damage and pollute the water.

Namwater's Chief Executive Officer, Abraham Nehemiah, says a number of capital projects have been identified to ensure water security in the country.

"One such project is the refurbishment of the Calueque-Oshakati Canal. This canal is at the center of water supply in northern Namibia, so Namwater cannot do without it. It is the only conveyance system of raw water that is treated at our various purification plants that supply water to the Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, and Oshikoto regions."