Van Lake cleanup excised over 2 mln cubic meters of toxic mud

VAN

In a relentless effort to breathe life back into Lake Van’s aquatic ecosystem, municipal crews have successfully dredged a staggering 2.18 million cubic meters of toxic sludge as of July 16.

This marks a major milestone for the comprehensive cleanup campaign, which was launched in 2021 by the Van Municipality and the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry with an ultimate goal of clearing 2.8 million cubic meters of mud across a 14-kilometer coastline.

To support the dredging, a fleet of heavy machinery actively sweeps the shores near the İskele July 15 Martyrs Park, the Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University campus. From there, a continuous convoy of transport trucks hauls the excavated mud from the lakebed to secure inland disposal sites, ensuring the toxic sludge never leaches back into the reviving waters.

As crews put the finishing touches on the project’s first two phases, they seamlessly transitioned into the third stage, mobilizing a dedicated fleet of 36 vehicles and 40 technical personnel across the active site.

Crews utilize 17-meter-long excavators to penetrate up to 2 meters into the lakebed, extracting 900 cubic meters of sludge daily to systematically eliminate decades of heavy
pollution and foul odors.

“The bottom cleaning drastically reduced existing pollution, and the ecosystem is visibly
recovering as aquatic life and various bird species return to the cleared zones,” Erdoğan Gül, an environmental engineer for the municipality, said.

Meanwhile, municipal teams are transforming the rehabilitated shoreline into public recreational zones, creating expansive lakeside parks where residents can safely gather.

“Six years ago, the severe stench and thick mud made the area completely inaccessible, but our efforts have successfully restored the lakefront,” said Bayram Ortasaç, the site supervisor.