THOUSANDS IN GİRNE NOT GETTING TURKISH WATER DESPITE 2016 DEAL MISSING OUT
THOUSANDS of people living in the Girne region are still not receiving fresh Turkish water in their homes, nearly two years since the signing of an agreement between Turkey and the TRNC to provide it.
Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü told Cyprus Today water supplied from a reservoir in Turkey via an 80km undersea pipeline was not yet reaching the villages of Esentepe, Bellapais and Karaman because of pumping pressure problems.
The pipeline project, which was completed in 2015 at a cost of around $500 million, provides 75 million tonnes of clean water annually to North Cyprus, said to be enough to meet the country’s needs for 50 years.
The water is pumped to the Geçitköy reservoir, from where it is then distributed through a network of pipes.
“We understand that the problem is to do with water pressure and that they need to install [extra] water pumps,” Mr Güngördü said. “However, we are anxious because we do not want these villages to suffer from water shortages in the summer months. We are currently supplying local water.”
The problem was confirmed by TRNC Water Works Department head Mustafa Kutrafalı, who told this newspaper a tender to install the new pumps had been completed and that work was expected to start “in a month’s time”.
“The problem is that the water at ground level cannot be pumped to higher areas, such as Esentepe, Bellapais, Karaman,” he said.
“Parts of Çatalköy are also affected. We have communicated the urgency of the [need to resolve the] situation before the arrival of summer.”
Mr Kutrafalı said local government officials had only realised after the water was turned on that there was not enough pressure in the system to pump it up from water mains near the Girne coast road.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Erkut Şahali, who officially took office last Friday, said on Tuesday his priority would be for Turkish water “to reach every part of the country”.
He said in a TV interview that he was “frustrated” that “28 municipalities were charging 20 different prices” for the water, despite a protocol being signed between Turkey and the TRNC on March 2, 2016.
He said the agreement had “set out details” as to how the water would be provided and how residents would benefit.
“However, we have seen that the work to make this water reach residents via municipalities is slow going,” Mr Şahali said.
“It is our biggest duty to ensure that this water reaches 100 per cent of the country.”
No-one could be reached at Girne Municipality to confirm whether householders not receiving Turkish water were paying higher charges levied for the supply.