Burst Pipe Leaves Drought-Hit Turkish Capital Dry
Date: 08-Aug-07
Country: TURKEY
Television showed residents wading through a flood in the district where the pipe burst -- in contrast with the rest of the city, where a severe drought has reduced water levels in dams to just four percent of their capacity and forced city authorities to impose water rationing.
Officials told a news conference it would take up to 36 hours to repair the pipe. "We hope this cut in the water supply will end quickly and we will get the water flowing again," said Avni Kavlak, press spokesman for Ankara municipality.
Turkey has been suffering one of its driest summers on record and Ankara, located in the dry, sunbaked interior, has been particularly hard hit because there was almost no snow last winter to fill the reservoirs.
Officials have said the water shortage could last until the end of the year, and last week Ankara mayor Melih Gokcek suggested residents take longer summer holidays to help ease the shortages.
Gokcek, a member of the ruling AK Party, has blamed the water crisis on global warming, but critics say he failed to invest in new infrastructure over the years despite repeated warnings from experts.
