Road infrastructure remains a challenge and the government is finding alternatives to address this challenge in the Oshana’s Uuvudhiya Constituency.
This was said by Oshana Regional Governor Elia Irimari during a consultative meeting with farmers at Uuvudhiya on Wednesday, who stressed that the challenge has left inhabitants finding it hard to access the needed services.
The road network in Oshana Region comprises 751.35 kilometres (km) of which 139km is bitumen and 263km is gravel roads while 161.5km is earth tracks, and 186.8 km is proclaimed.
He however said after continued consultations, the Ministry of Works and Transport has given priority to some of the region’s roads infrastructure plan.
Irimari indicated that the ministry will embark with a new 30km project for the construction of gravel roads from Ondjungulume to Uuvudhiya-Engombe-Oponona.
Meanwhile, the construction of Gravel Road DR3607 from Ompundja through Ekango-lyambaambala to Naluvanda Gate is expected to start soon.
The governor also indicated that they plan to work on the 35.5km gravel road between Ukwiyuushona and Ompundja and upgrade the 150km road to bitumen standards and dual carriage road from Omuthiya to Ondangwa to Oshakati.
A portion of 22.5km road from Okapya-Onakamwandi Road, will be re-gravelled, including the 27km road of Ongha-Adolfi Road, 15km of Okapya-Okaku-Ohalushu Road, he revealed.
Further, the 140km light rehabilitation of the Oshakati-Ruacana road is also on the cards.
The governor further told the meeting that they plan to dig earth dams to catch water for livestock use, as the area has been experiencing lack of water due to no rainfall in the area.
“Given the drought situation in the region due to low and sporadic rainfall, the Oshana, Oshikoto and Omusati regional councils collaborated to address the water shortage at the grazing areas,” he said.
NamWater has commenced to pump water from Olushandja to the grazing areas with livestock water shortages such as Oponona.
Uuvudhiya Farmers Union chairperson Andreas Amakutsi urged farmers to come together and find ways to tackle some of the issues faced in the constituency.
“More especially finding putting our heads together and identifying a suitable area for an earth dam creation,” he added.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency