Скачать или смотреть Aus farmers struggle as borehole water levels drop - nbc

Low groundwater levels of boreholes have left farmers in the townland of the Aus Settlement struggling to secure enough water for their households and livestock.

The farmers are now forced to daily transport water in containers from Aus Settlement to the town's land, which is about ten kilometres away, for their household needs and to keep their animals alive.

They noted this process is time-consuming and costly.

The farmers attributed the falling groundwater levels to the extreme heat currently experienced in the region.

Johannes Muhende, a farmer in the area, described their daily struggle to the NBC News crew. "Yesterday, we struggled with water all day. The animals only had enough to drink for one day. Today, we will see if we can get water. The problem is that the groundwater levels have dropped because of the heat. I don't know what will be done now. We have lodged a complaint with the settlement office."

Petrus Shimbashike affirmed the dire situation faced by the farmers, adding that, "Despite the low groundwater levels, the town lands are overstocked with sheep, goats, horses, and cattle. Even when water is available. There are far too many goats, sheep, cattle and horses, with cattle constituting the majority. Even if water is available, only some animals get to drink because the reservoir cannot keep up with the demand, as any water inflows are consumed immediately. Our community gardens are also failing due to the worsening water shortages. We simply cannot keep up."

A copy of a report issued by NamWater in 2023 on the Aus Water Scheme highlights challenges, including poor recharge of the aquifer and weak and drying boreholes, as well as unverified, unreasonable water losses.

It further suggests adding newly drilled boreholes to the settlements' water scheme as an interim intervention, as well as artificially recharging the aquifer as a long-term intervention.

It also proposes the transportation of water from Keetmanshoop to Aus by rail.
Suzan Ndjaleka, the regional councillor for the NamiǂNûs Constituency, directed the trucking of water to the affected farming area as an interim intervention.

As a matter of urgency, she noted, collective efforts need to be strengthened to ensure consistent improvement in service delivery across the constituency.

Aus Settlement, with a population of about 1,200 residents, falls under the NamiǂNûs Constituency.

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