Zakho locals complain about Turkish dams along river. Photo: Rudaw
ZAKHO, Kurdistan Region - Locals in Zakho complained about the construction of seven dams by Turkey along the Hizel river, saying these cause a shortage of water in the river which they can rarely use because of the presence of military checkpoints.
Sixteen villages in Zakho are located on the Hizel river. Four of these villages cannot benefit from the river.
Luqman Saadi, a farmer from Zakho, told Rudaw’s Yousif Mousa that “We have planted 100 trees here. I have been here for eight years and we have not benefited from the water of the Hizel river.”
The Hizel river crosses the border of Zakho for 36 kilometers until it reaches the Tigris river, which is a common waterway between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey.
According to the Zakho Irrigation Department, the water level of the Hizel river has decreased from two and a half meters to one meter and 20 centimeters due to the drought and the construction of dams on it.
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