Drought depletes Turkey's Tekirdag reservoirs, forcing emergency water curbs

Highlights:

• Drought causes critical water shortages, affecting daily life
• One dam's water level falls to 0%, alternative supply prompted
• Residents resort to fetching water from distant areas

A drought in Turkey's northwestern province of Tekirdag has left the area's main dams without potable water, straining infrastructure and leaving some homes without water for weeks, due to a sharp drop in precipitation in the country this year.

Authorities say drought is a critical issue, with several provinces warning of limited fresh water supply this summer.

Various areas in Izmir, Turkey's third-most populous province, have experienced frequent water cuts this month, while the municipality in the western province of Usak was told over the weekend it would have access to water just six hours a day, with the main water reservoir depleted.

Rainfall slumped 71% in July across the country from a year ago, according to Turkey's Meteorological Service. In the Marmara region, which includes Tekirdag and Istanbul, it shrank 95% below the monthly norm in July.

In the ten months to August, precipitation sank 32% in Marmara compared to the norm, while it fell 26% across Turkey to the lowest in 52 years.

ALTERNATIVES

The water level in Tekirdag's Naip Dam, which has not seen any rainfall in June and July, fell to zero percent in August.

That has forced authorities to find alternatives like delivering irrigation water for domestic use and building a pump system for delivery into urban areas.

The dam's water level was 21% this time last year, according to the State Hydraulic Works.

Mehmet Ali Sismanlar, head of Tekirdag's Water and Sewerage Administration (TESKI), said rainfall in Tekirdag has reduced dramatically over the past decade, and severe drought over the last two years has spurred frequent water cuts in some areas this summer.

"We are the area and the province that has been affected the most by the drought in Turkey," he said, attributing it to climate change.

The water in Turkmenli dam, usually used for irrigation, was used to supply water to Tekirdag's Marmaraereglisi district, where some neighbourhoods faced water cuts.

TESKI was working to open new wells to use ground water, not usually a preferred measure, Sismanlar said. He said ground water had sunk to twice its original depth over the years.

Mehmet, 70, a resident who lives in the Dereagzi neighbourhood with his family, said their home has had no water for two months, leaving them unable to shower or perform chores, and they were fetching water from nearby areas in large bottles.

"I have been living in filth for the past two months," he said, standing among dirty piles of dishes in the kitchen, and adding that he last showered when he went to Istanbul, around 130 kilometres (81 miles) away.

His wife, Fatma, 65, said the family stayed up at night to fill up bottles in case water supply is resumed.

Remzi Karabas, 71, said he takes his laundry to Istanbul to be washed, but was done with living in Tekirdag.

"We'll leave some day soon. What can we do here? Water does not flow at all."