Turkey plans to complete a water supply line to deal with water shortages in northern Cyprus.
Waterworks Minister Veysel Eroglu has said in the media that the project is planned to be finished today March 7, 2014 and will be completed on time as promised. “The project is about to be completed and construction of underwater pipelines is done, but the work continues. Closing date for the marine phase of the project, however, is set to September 2014”
The project is an international water diversion project aimed at supplying water for drinking and irrigation from southern Turkey to Northern Cyprus via pipeline in the Mediterranean. As such, the project is unique in the world.
Under water management can also be extended to the Middle East, Gaza in particular, the minister said in reference to the never realized “Peace Water” project that dated back to the second half of the 1980s.
The project will be carried out by the Turkish State Hydraulic works. It consists of the construction of a dam and a pump station on both sides, and a pipeline of 107 km running mainly in the sea.
The construction will have four phases.
Phase 1
Alakopru dam built in Anamur, Mersin Province on the Anamur-Draken Creek at 88 m height. The first sod was made on March 7, 2011. It will have a reservoir that holds 130 500 000 m3, and the pond will be completed today march 7 2014.
Phase 2
A pipeline of 1,500 mm diameter and 22 km length will carry 75 million m3 of water in Alakopru dam to Anamurium pumping station, which connects to a pipeline under the sea, 1 km away.
Phase 3
An 80 km long pipeline under the sea, of 1600 mm at 250 m depth in the Mediterranean will transfer water from Anamurium facility in Turkey to Güzelyalı pumping station in Northern Cyprus. The pipeline will have sensors and transmitters mounted to signal any faults to be repaired.
Phase 4
A pipeline of 3 km will lift water from Güzelyalı station to the reservoir in Geçitköy dam, near the town of Girne.
The total investment cost for the project is budgeted at TL 782 million with TL 45.6 for structures in Turkey, TL 630 million for underwater pipeline and TL 26.9 for the structures in Northern Cyprus.
Cyprus has a lack of surface and groundwater due to inadequate rainfall. The project aims to provide Northern Cyprus with water from Turkey for a period of 50 years. Of the 75 million m3 of water, the 37.76 million m3 (50.3%) for human consumption and the remainder (49.7%) will be allocated for irrigation. After implementation of the project, an irrigated agriculture in an area of 4824 hectares at Meseria Plains, one of the largest plains in the island, help improve the standard of living in the region.
