Lake Keramettin, a important supply of irrigation for the agricultural lands of Keramettin village in Edirne’s Süloğlu district, finds itself within the grip of a extreme drought aggravated by growing evaporation amid rising temperatures.
With a capability of 218,000 cubic meters, the lake serves as a lifeline for native farmers who’ve been battling a dwindling water provide. This water physique irrigates an expansive 6,000 decares of agricultural land, primarily cultivated with corn, sunflowers and clover.
Erdogan Uzun, the Head of Keramettin Village Irrigation, lamented the unprecedented dry spell the area has been experiencing. He identified that that is the driest interval in current instances, courting again to 2014, after they final encountered such a extreme drought.
Uzun highlighted the severity of the scenario, saying: “We are unable to approach the water distribution point at the bottom of the pond because of the diminishing water levels. This is something we haven’t encountered in years.”
The penalties of this drought are hitting native farmers laborious, leading to decreased crop yields. Uzun detailed the extent of the disaster, saying: “We are facing water shortages like never before. The lake has been in operation for 35 years, and we have never witnessed a drought of this magnitude since its establishment. Many of our crops are withering, and some had to be harvested prematurely. I urge our farmers to resort to alternative irrigation methods, particularly for corn cultivation.”
The influence on corn yields has been significantly extreme.
“Last year, some places yielded up to 2 tons of corn per acre under favorable conditions. Unfortunately, this year, achieving even 1 ton per acre has been challenging. We are looking at a staggering 50% decrease in yields,” Uzun defined.
Considering the disaster, native farmers are interesting for help from authorities and a rise in corn costs. Tuncay Özcan, a producer, expressed his dismay on the unprecedented nature of this drought, lamenting that such a dire scenario has by no means been witnessed within the area’s historical past.
As the area grapples with the water disaster, farmers and authorities are working collectively to seek out options to mitigate the influence on agriculture and the livelihoods of these depending on it.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
