The loss of 3,5 billion litres of water released from the Hardap Dam three years ago has come back to haunt farmers, after the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) announced it will be cutting supplies from the dam to save the precious liquid.
The water utility announced the move in a statement earlier this week, saying the dam's low water level has forced it to cut water supply to the Hardap Dam's irrigation schemes by 1 February 2020.
The statement says the water will only be available for domestic use.
The move comes three years after 3,5 billion litres were released from the Hardap Dam to the N$5,7 billion Neckartal Dam in August 2017. The water, however, dried up while on its way to the dam, situated 123 kilometres away.
The value of the water lost amounted to N$53 million.
NamWater announced this week that the Hardap Dam's level has fallen to 6,1% of its storage capacity.
NamWater's spokesperson, Johannes Shigwedha, said they have reviewed a number of scenarios on the management of the dam, hence the decision.
He said one of the recommendations was that 40% of the water savings generated through this exercise should be used for irrigation only, and that should irrigation be stopped by the end of this month, the rest would be for domestic and livestock use until the end of April 2021.
"With the continuous poor inflow into the Hardap Dam, follow-up investigations by NamWater revealed that even with the discontinuation of irrigation water supply from 31 January 2020, water for domestic use will only last up to end of February 2021, which is the middle of the next rainy season.
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"It was thus recommended that irrigation water be cut off as soon as possible, not later than 1 February 2020. NamWater will monitor the situation for domestic and livestock supply and reassess the situation for irrigation once the dam receives an inflow," said Shigwedha.
He said NamWater will, in the meantime, improve pumping capacity to increase potable water supply to Mariental.
The town consumes 800 million cubic litres of water monthly. Hardap Farmers Association chairperson Dawie de Klerk yesterday told The Namibian that farmers are concerned about the water lost on its way to Neckartal Dam.
He said the wasted water could have kept the irrigation going until the new rainy season starts in February this year.
"There is no other option for farmers. If we do not get rain in the next three weeks, it might do serious permanent damage to some. We must just go on our knees and pray," said De Klerk. De Klerk said NamWater had already cut their water on Monday.
