Garbage piles up around Tahtalı Stream

İZMİR

As trash and debris have piled up alongside the stream in the western province of İzmir's Menderes district that feeds into the Tahtalı Dam, a significant supply of drinking water for the city has come under an alarming threat.

The dumping of garbage and debris next to Tahtalı Stream, flowing into Tahtalı Dam, which meets İzmir's drinking water needs, has caused an outrage.

While the perpetrators have not yet been determined, locals demanded that measures should be taken as soon as possible.

Metin Yılmaz, a resident, stated that the municipality does not take any measures here despite their repeated complaints.

“This is one of the streams that flow into the Tahtalı Dam and provides Izmir water. While this place should be well-maintained, it is impossible to breathe around here because of the stench from the garbage.”

On the other hand, in the statement made by officials, it was pointed out that all teams worked intensively during the Eid al-Adha holiday to prevent this situation and that they are still working on the issue.

“The garbage collected at the transfer station is sent to a landfill outside the basin. Apart from the solid waste from settlements, wastes such as illegal rubble are dumped in some areas in the basin," read another statement by the Izmir General Directorate of Water and Sewerage Administration.

"Our teams identify the waste dumped in these areas and ensure that the responsible district municipality takes action to remove it from the site,” it added.