Katima sewage spill disrupts businesses
Vendors at Katima Mulilo say their income is under threat due to sewage overflowing across parts of the town.
Native Small Traders Association chairman Mulijani Simasiku says many vendors will be forced to either stop working or move to areas where there are fewer customers.
“Food and fresh produce vendors will be mostly affected, as it will be unhygienic for them to operate in such an environment. It may even cause vendors to get sick, as that stench is too toxic to be inhaled regularly. The town council should, therefore, find a speedy solution for the sewage crisis,” he says.
He urges the town council to provide chemicals to those operating around overflowing manholes to reduce the stench and prevent waterborne diseases.
His comments follow a major sewerage pump malfunction at Station 7, which has led to warnings of possible evacuations and business closures.
The town’s ageing sewerage infrastructure has been a challenge for years, resulting in frequent malfunctions that cause a backflow, which subsequently overflows through toilets, showers and manholes across the town.
Katima Mulilo chief executive Raphael Liswaniso told The Namibian over the weekend the malfunction worsened because no maintenance was conducted over the past two weeks due to transport challenges.
“It’s an alarming situation. The overflowing will be as a result of the sewer pump being unable to absorb new waste, which will cause a backflow. We need a heavy sucker pump to pump out old waste; however, we do not know where to dispose of the waste. Our technical team is hard at work to remedy the hazardous effects of this malfunction,” he said.
Liswaniso added that the possibility of sewage overflowing around town is inevitable, although the town council is working hard to reduce the pressure on the sewerage network.
He said residents should relocate to villages to avoid flushing toilets, and businesses that use a lot of water should close.
“That will help reduce pressure on the sewerage network. However, if we are unable to fix the malfunction, it will result in the closure of all the businesses and the suspension of other services. Therefore, it’s best if residents and businesses start taking precautionary measures because although it’s still a bit manageable, it’s a critical situation,” he said.
According to Liswaniso, the town council requires N$4 million to fix the pump station.
Katima Mulilo has a population of 46 401 with 11 739 households, according to the 2023 population and housing census report.
Community activist Dobson Kwala says this situation presents a major health crisis for the residents, as the overflowing sewage exposes residents to possible disease outbreaks such as cholera, skin diseases and dysentery.
“The government should step in and assist the town council; otherwise, they will be battling outbreaks of various diseases that will come about as a result of these hazardous sewage overflows.
“Meanwhile, businesses will also be impacted financially if they have to close, and it will impact the livelihoods of many residents,” he says.
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