PodcastTwo reservoirs crucial to Istanbul's water supply under than 10 percent of capacity
Two reservoirs in the northwestern province of Kırklareli that are integral in meeting Istanbul's water demands have dropped to under 10 percent of their capacity as of last month. The Kazandere and Papuçdere reservoirs provide Istanbul with 15-20 percent of its water supply, and have been depleted following a dry winter.
Duvar English
Istanbul diver reveals COVID-19 pollution in the Bosphorus' watersTwo reservoirs in the northwestern province of Kırklareli that are integral in meeting Istanbul's water demands have dropped to under 10 percent of their capacity as of last month.
The Kazandere and Papuçdere reservoirs provide Istanbul with 15-20 percent of its water supply, and have been depleted following a dry winter.
“Winter was not very rainy. The Aksicim reservoir, which is composed of the Kazandere and Pabuçdere reservoirs, nearly reached levels of zero. I observed myself that up until a month ago, there was no water in the reservoirs. During the harvest season between June 15 and the end of the month, it rained heavily here. But I don't think that rain will be enough to fill the reservoirs,” said Alpar Erker, chairman of the Vize district's Nature Foundation.
Erker said that after the reservoirs were built and the water acquired by the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) to provide the city with drinking water, area locals were deprived of their rights to use the water from their streams. The reservoirs were opened in 1996 by then-mayor Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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