The population of Istanbul and accordingly the need for drinking and utility water is increasing day by day. The Melen System is one of the projects developed by the Council of Ministers in 1990, in terms of water supply to Istanbul, which has received heavy immigration since the 1990s, and its population has increased rapidly, even the most prominent one. The completion of the Melen project, which has become an indispensable and important water source for Istanbul at this point, by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, is important both in terms of water supply to the city and in terms of costs.
The water need of Istanbul, whose population is increasing rapidly due to migration, and whose population movement is intense due to being one of the important cities of the world today, is increasing day by day accordingly. In the city, which consumes around 2,8-3 million cubic meters of water per day in winter, this rate rises to 3,2 million cubic meters in summer. From history to the present, water has always been carried to Istanbul. Today, the Melen system comes first among the sources that provide water to the city, apart from its own dams.
The projects of the Melen Dam, which was developed with the decision of the Council of Ministers in 1990 to supply water to Istanbul, were approved by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works in 2011. Its construction started in 2012. It was planned to be completed in 2016, but it was revealed that the project needed to be revised due to some problems (cracks in the dam body to prevent water retention). Melen system, which should be completed in 2016; At this point, after the necessary improvements are made by DSI, it is expected to be completed ten years later than planned, namely in 2026.
FAILED TO COMPLETE THE DAM INCREASES THE COSTS OF İSKİ
Melen project, which stands out for water supply to Istanbul, consists of a dam and three large water transmission lines. The water collected in the dam is transported to Istanbul via three transmission lines. Today, it can be said that about a third of Istanbul's drinking water comes from Melen. However, the water is currently; instead of being collected at the dam first, it is drawn directly from the Melen Stream as the dam could not be built. The fact that the water cannot be collected in the dam and drawn directly from the Melen Stream also creates a significant electricity cost for İSKİ. If the dam, which was tendered in 2012, had been completed in 2016 or later, the costs of İSKİ would not have increased.
İMAMOĞLU EXAMINED
IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, after taking office in 2019, drew attention to the investigations he made in the Melen project and the problems in the construction of the dam. Rolling up his sleeves to solve the problems, İmamoğlu also shared the images of the cracks in the dam at the IMM Assembly. The General Directorate of DSI took action to eliminate the problems, and a revision decision was made. Strengthening works started in June 2020. However, upon the request of the company, the retrofitting work was terminated by DSI in 2022 and liquidated. DSI, which made the tender for “Melen Dam Revised Rehabilitation Project Construction” in January 2023, the duration of this work is 488 days. After this work, which is a kind of consultancy service, the works to be done on the Melen Dam will be clarified and then the construction works will be started. Considering issues such as global climate change and the energy crisis, this is quite a long time and poses a risk to Istanbul's water supply security.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ISTANBUL TO FINISH IN 2026 OF THE PROJECT PLANNED FOR 2023
According to the evaluation made by considering the existing water resources; It is of urgent importance for Istanbul that the Melen Dam, which is planned to be completed in 2026 by the General Directorate of DSI, is put into operation before this date, so that Istanbul will be less affected by the global climate change process and reduce the vulnerability of water supply in case of drought. Because, when the dam is completed, 1 billion 77 million m3 of water will be supplied to Istanbul annually. For this reason, the General Directorate of İSKİ made a request to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works to carry out the necessary studies for the commissioning of the Melen Dam without wasting any time, and to ensure technical coordination with İSKİ. The amount of extra energy spent due to the inability to commission the Melen Dam creates a financial burden on the General Directorate of İSKİ. The dam needs to be put into operation immediately and hold water.
İSKİ General Directorate also requested from the DSI General Directorate to give priority to the construction of the Sungurlu Dam, which is a safe and close reservoir close to the city, in its investment program, in order to meet the water needs of Istanbul in the short, medium and long term due to the inability to commission the Melen Dam. he did.
DETERMINATION CASE
In addition, due to the fact that the Melen Dam could not be completed within the periods announced by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works and was not put into operation (operation), a case for determination was filed in the Kocaali Magistrates Court for the determination of the damage that occurred before the General Directorate of İSKİ. The Expert Report to be prepared as a result of the discovery is awaited.
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