Water levels decline in Afrin River, raising farmers’ fears
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – The decline of water levels in Maydanki Lake and Afrin River, northern Aleppo, raised fears among farmers and residents of a potential disaster in the region after Turkey opened the sluice gates of Maydanki Lake to drive water to the al-Rihaniyah Dam in southern Turkey.
Local sources told North Press on Sunday that Jindires District is one of the most affected by the decrease in water levels of the Afrin River. The river’s tributaries have dried up completely, especially near the villages of Deir Ballout and al-Mohammadiya, adjacent to the Syrian-Turkish border.
They fear significant losses if the water levels continue to decrease, as it could limit water reaching their crops.
On January 20, 2018, the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition factions started a ground and aerial offensive on Afrin under the pretext of expelling terrorist groups and protecting the civilians.
For years, Turkey has deprived Syrians of the Euphrates River water in northern Syria, causing major Syrian dams to reach historically low levels, posing an environmental and humanitarian disaster.
Two years ago, the Afrin Activists Network shared photos of Turkey building a new dam on the Afrin River near Maydanki Lake in the Sharran district, claiming it is diverting water flowing to Afrin by constructing the dam on the Turkish side.
On June 11, 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan virtually inaugurated the Upper Afrin dam in Kilis province, Turkey.
The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry stated that the dam, with a capacity of 38 million cubic meters, will be utilized to fulfill the drinking water and public facility needs of the Kilis province.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a girl drowned in Maydanki Lake in the countryside of Afrin.
Local sources told North Press that a 17-year-old girl drowned in the lake despite the efforts of the region’s residents to save her. She was rushed to a clinic in the Sharran district, but unfortunately, the rescue attempts were unsuccessful.
On Friday, a young man drowned in al-Assi River in the Darkush area of western Idlib, bringing the total number of drowning deaths in northwestern Syria’s waters to 20 since the start of this summer. Most of these incidents occurred in Maydanki Lake and al-Assi River.