AANES stops operating Tishrin Dam in Syria’s Manbij for a week
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) stopped operating Tishrin Dam, on the Euphrates River, in the southeastern countryside of Manbij, northern Syria, due to the sharp decrease of water flowing in from Turkey.
An official at the AANES dams administration issued a resolution to suspend the dam for a week starting on March 1.
The lack of water flowing in from Turkey forced the administration to take this decision, as it needs to secure drinking and irrigation water to ensure a favorable agricultural seasons in North and East Syria, he added.
Since February 2020, Turkey has withheld water from the Euphrates River, breaching a 1987 treaty which entails Syria and Iraq 500 cubic meter per second of water. At this moment, only 200 cubic meter is being let through by Turkey.
On Feb. 23, an official of the dams administration told North Press that they were seriously considering temporarily putting the dam out of service, due to the low levels of water flowing in from the Turkish side.
The official said that they were considering establishing a program prepared by the dam’s administration and other concerned bodies.
On Feb. 27, Hammoud Hammadin, an official at the dam, told North Press that the water level at the dam reached 320.30 m, which is only 30 cm off of the so-called “dead level”.