Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem İmamoğluThe Melen Dam, which is essential for Istanbul and has made many calls for its completion, was once again interrupted. The tender for Melen Dam Revised Rehabilitation Project Construction and Construction Works Consultancy Services was canceled on the grounds that there were not enough bidders.
The Melen Dam, which will provide water to Istanbul, has not been completed for 2012 years, which the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) had started to build in 2016 and planned to complete in 11. Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Ekrem İmamoğluUpon the detection of cracks in the body of the Melen Dam, which he visited after taking office, he called for the dam to be completed as soon as possible. DSI approved the opening of a tender on 28 April 2023 for the consultancy service of the revised rehabilitation of the Dam. It was announced that the tender will be held on July 3, 2023. However, DSI announced on 12 July 2023 that the tender was canceled due to insufficient number of bids. On the other hand, the result of the “Melen Dam Revised Rehabilitation Project Construction” tender held by DSI on March 17, 2023 has not been announced yet.
“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 scheduled to be completed in 2016. However, due to the formation of cracks in the dam body to prevent water retention, it was revealed that the project had to be revised. 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.
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 by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works in 2026, is put into operation before the specified date in order to make Istanbul less affected by the global climate change process and to reduce the vulnerability of water supply in case of drought. When the dam is completed, 1 billion 77 million cubic meters of water will be supplied to Istanbul annually. For this reason, İSKİ made a request to the General Directorate of DSI for the necessary work to be carried out in order to put the Melen Dam into operation as soon as possible and to ensure technical coordination with İSKİ. The amount of extra energy spent due to the Melen Dam not being commissioned creates a financial burden for İSKİ.