Residents of Evale in the Eengodi Constituency are disappointed, with what they term the government's inaction in mitigating the current water crisis in the village and surrounding areas.

More than 30 years after independence, clean drinking water remains elusive to many residents in the Eengodi Constituency of the Oshikoto Region. 

It has become an eyesore as villagers and their livestock slowly make their way in the dense plains towards one of the 13 manmade wells in Evale that caters to about five other villages in the vicinity. 

Both Humans and livestock heavily rely on wells for their water supply which is unfit for human consumption. 

David Kambonde says there is a water pipeline that doesn't function in the area and called on the government to solve their water problem.

"We only have water from these wells which are not healthy, it's a lot of years now just drinking this water. That pipeline they brought here only works during the rainy season. We are tired and it's about time the government takes our concerns seriously." 

The residents who have to scale long distances on foot from the nearest wells say, they can only do so at intervals as walking every day to the water points is cumbersome due to the sandy terrains. 

A resident of Eyambeko village, Feniolo Shikongo said "I walk a long distance to get here and I am sad that our government does not prioritize our need for clean drinking water here. I stay at Eyambeko village and there are no boreholes either." 

The situation has turned into a nightmare for some youth who have given up on bettering their lives. 

Theopolina Shikemeni of Evale village said she walks around 3.5 kilometers to fetch water and this is really disappointing because she cannot leave her parents to go and look for a job because they cannot foot this long distance to go and fetch water."

Contacted for comment, the Director of Water and Sanitation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Elijah Ngurare says, the water from most boreholes drilled is unfit for human consumption. 

"The hot spot water areas in the Oshikoto Region namely Okankolo, Eengodi and Nehale Lyampingana the ministry has begun the process of drilling deep boreholes, the reason for that is that we would like them to have a reticulated 10 kilometers radius so that it can cover other villages or many villages. That is one intervention, the other one is the process of constructing earth dams and modernization of traditional wells that is aimed at comprehensively ensuring that everyone in that area has access to water of adequate quantity and acceptable quality."