SORGUL ŞÊXO

 Hasakah-The Alouk water station is a crucial source of drinking water for the people of Hasakah, Serêkanîyê (Ras al-Ayn) and Til Temir (Tell Tamer). However, the Turkish state has stopped the station from pumping drinking water since it occupied Serêkanîyê in 2019. The People’s Municipality in Til Temir has developed projects to supply drinking water to the people of Til Temir, Zirgan and their villages and 3,000 people displaced from Afrin and Serêkanîyê by using 94 water tank trucks. NuJINHA spoke to Hemdiya Hisên, director of the Water Department of the municipality, about their projects.

 ‘We started to develop alternative solutions against the water crisis’

Drinking water used to be supplied from the Khabur River, she said. “People used to have water wells 20 years ago. After the revolution on July 19, 2012, the Alouk water station began to supply drinking water to the region. However, the Turkish state has stopped the station from pumping drinking water since it occupied Serêkanîyê in 2019. So, we started to develop alternative solutions against the water crisis. Drinking water is supplied from wells and rivers and sold at low prices to the people and displaced people in 30 villages.”

‘Climate change exacerbates droughts’

The municipality gives permission to the people so that they can dig water wells. “We have dug 49 water wells in 2024. We can supply water from the wells for three years because climate change exacerbates droughts. We also supply water for trees because they provide us with oxygen and reduce the temperature. Our city will always be green.”

 Digging water wells is a temporary solution to the water outages, Hemdiya Hisên said. “We need a long-term solution. The Alouk water station should pump drinking water again. We receive suggestions and complaints from people but we cannot supply water to everyone because water supplied from wells contain salt. Consuming salty water can cause diseases among people, especially among children.”

‘Humanitarian organizations should fulfill their duties’

Hemdiya Hisên concluded her speech by calling on humanitarian organizations. We make great efforts to solve this water crisis. There is a village having fresh water five km away from the city. We have to dig two water wells there and install pipes so that people could benefit from the water wells. We call on human rights organizations and humanitarian organizations to fulfill their duties by supporting us to overcome this water crisis. The water crisis affects all people and displaced people. We need to overcome this crisis.”