Expert in water resources confirms that the extent of danger threatening Hasakah is indescribable

The suffering of the afflicted city of Hasakah and its residents increases as a result of the water crisis and the Turkish occupation cut it off from its main source in the Alouk station since the occupation of Serêkaniyê in 2019.

With more than one and a half million people relying on underground springs and wells for more than four years, as a result of the water cut off from the Alouk station, and as a result of the dry climate during the past years, this threatens to further exacerbate the crisis.

ANHA agency's correspondents monitored the conditions of the water fountains that supply the city of  Hasakah and its residents with water, and they met a number of tank owners to discuss the low levels.

"The water level is starting to drop, and some wells are starting to dry up."

Hajar Mulla Salman, the owner of one of the tanks, said about the issue: "We used to wait for a period not exceeding 10 minutes before, for the tank to be filled with water, but now, we are waiting for more than half an hour for the tank to be filled, and all because of the depletion of groundwater and its low level."

Mulla Salman indicated that: "The matter also turned into a problem for us, as we were previously supplying the city of Hasakah more than three and four times per tank, but now, it does not exceed twice, due to the weakness and scarcity of water."

Mulla Salman stressed that: "The future of these wells does not bode well, as drought is inevitable. There are nearby wells that have completely dried up, and these wells are also threatened with drought."

In the same context, Muhammad al-Khalid, who is also the owner of one of the tanks operating within the city of Hasakah, touched on the significant decrease in the water level of the wells, and confirmed that the wells sometimes dry up completely.

Al-Khalid stressed that: "The future is unknown, and warns of a great danger to the city of Hasakah, because water is one of the basics of life, and if the situation remains as it is now, all wells will dry up and there will be no water left, even in the springs".

The biggest danger

Commenting on the topic, ANHA's agency met with an expert in water resources and an expert in drought and desertification, Trad Sheikh Ibrahim, and he pointed out that: "The Autonomous Administration recently announced that the city of Hasakah has become a disaster-stricken city due to the water crisis. Today, Hasakah is facing major problems with the Turkish occupation cutting off Alouk water, in light of the people of the region consume groundwater by digging wells, as a result of the lack of natural recharge from rivers and rain."

Trad Ibrahim noted: "If the wells dry up with a significant decrease in their level, then the next stage, the coming months or next year, the problem will be much greater than now and the danger will be greater, which warns of an extension of the desertification state from the south to the north."

Ibrahim stressed, "The extent of the danger is indescribable. Drought will affect the entire city of Hasakah and even nature, the environment, and the infrastructure. The situation also warns of an internal reverse migration, meaning that the city's residents will go to live in villages in search of water."

T/ Satt.

ANHA