MAUN: This principal Okavango town is surrounded by the Thamalakane, the Boro and the Shashe Rivers, yet people here are always thirsty. Maun has suffered a chronic shortage of drinkable water for decades. On numerous occasions, parts of the village go for months without a drop. Prolonged spells of thirst are particularly common in the wards of Kubung, Thito, Kgosing, Disaneng and Boseja.
The people of Sanyedi Ward near the town centre, for instance, once went for four months without drinking water.Water demand here stands at 8,319 cubic metres against a supply of just 6,855 cubic metres. The deficit is apparently exacerbated by the deteriorating state of water infrastructure, which is in need of an overhaul. Most of the town's pipes are leaking and leak continually. Maun currently gets its water from boreholes along the Shashe and Kunyere rivers. Most of the high yielding boreholes that supply the town are located in the flood plains, making it difficult for breakdowns to be attended due to poor accessibility.
