Environmental disaster in Afyonkarahisar: Pınarbaşı Pond has completely dried up

Located in the Emirdağ district of Afyonkarahisar, Pınarbaşı Pond, one of the region's most important freshwater sources, has completely dried up due to drought and the blockage of feeder water channels. Once a habitat for migratory birds, fish, and countless natural species, as well as a vital lifeline for local farmers, only cracked earth remains of the pond. Environmental advocates and local administrators have called for an emergency action plan to save the pond.

The water level in Pınarbaşı Pond, which is situated between the villages of Yenikapı and Hamzahacılı in Emirdağ and has been a symbol of the region for years, has dropped to zero as a result of seasonal droughts in recent years and human-induced interventions.

THE POND THAT WAS TEEMING WITH LIFE THREE YEARS AGO NOW RESEMBLES A DESERT

Yenikapı Village Headman Seyit Battal Gül and local environmental advocate Özay Öz highlighted the following points in a joint statement regarding the state of the pond:

It Was the Region's Lifeline: The pond did not just support ecological diversity; it also provided a very significant source of income for agricultural activities and livestock farming in the surrounding villages.

Rapid Collapse: The pond, which was full of water and home to many aquatic species just 3 years ago, has completely dried up and been left without water in a very short time because it could not receive sufficient water supply.

RESCUE PRESCRIPTION: "CHANNELS MUST BE CLEANED, ILLEGAL WELLS MUST BE CLOSED"

Nature activists and the village headman's office have knocked on the doors of authorities to demand urgent measures to bring Pınarbaşı Pond back to life. The main causes leading to the drying of the pond and the proposed solutions were listed as follows:

•The failure to clean and maintain the natural water channels that feed the lake from surrounding sources for a long time has completely cut off the water flow to the pond. These channels need to be rehabilitated quickly.

•Unauthorized and uncontrolled groundwater wells opened in the region under the pretext of agricultural irrigation have completely drained the pond's groundwater, accelerating the drying process. It is demanded that illegal wells be sealed immediately.

Local residents and non-governmental organizations stated that they have made official applications to the Afyonkarahisar Governorship and the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) for an inspection of the dried pond bed and for the necessary rescue efforts to be initiated as soon as possible, emphasizing that they will follow the process closely.