The municipalities of Uludere, Şenoba, and Hilal, all under AKP administration, reportedly dumped district and municipal waste into the Hêzil River. As a result, the Siyahkaya Dam—Silopi’s main source of drinking water—has become filled with garbage. Footage has emerged showing municipal trucks dumping waste directly into the river, which is then carried by the current into the dam.
The contamination of the drinking water supply has sparked public outrage. Despite the circulating footage, the Şırnak Governor’s Office claimed that the accumulation of waste in the dam was caused by “heavy rainfall.” The statement noted that a tender for a solid waste facility would be launched soon.
The Şırnak Ecology Platform, in a written statement, described the incident as a serious public health issue: “As seen in the footage shared on social media and submitted to us, waste from two towns and one district is being dumped into the Hêzil River. Domestic and medical waste discharged into the river flows into the Siyahkaya Dam, which provides treated water for Silopi. The price of such grave negligence will be paid by the hundreds of thousands of people and living beings in Silopi. This incident, which constitutes a public health crisis, is absolutely unacceptable. Water is life; polluting it is a grave crime against nature, humanity, and the future. We call on the authorities to act immediately. This alarming situation must be stopped, those responsible must be held accountable, and the health of the local population must be secured. We announce to the public that we will continue to monitor the process and defend nature, water, and life.”
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