Too much water or none, the Turkish capital Ankara is challenged by the liquid that sustains life. All can be blamed on the municipality run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who has been a popular name in the party and splinter New Party (YP) as well.
Despite recent downpours that left streets across the city flooded, the municipality’s water utility Ankara Water and Sewage Administration (ASKI) increased the frequency of water shortages in the city, citing “water pump problems.”
This week, ASKI warned of “unplanned cuts” due to problems with the utility’s facilities in the Altındağ district, but soon the cuts expanded to other districts, from Yenimahalle to Etimesgut and Gölbaşı. The cuts primarily stem from the P10 pumping station of the grid, which also broke down on May 31, at that time due to fluctuations in the electric grid. As a matter of fact, it has been only seven weeks since the said station was renovated.
Locals speaking to the Sabah newspaper say the cuts have been continuing infrequently since winter, and the problems linked to low pressure in water supplies also led their water heaters to malfunction.
The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) was under the spotlight in winter amid frequent water cuts in the districts of Mamak and Çankaya. Back then, the municipality blamed the government for cuts, linking them to the government not supplying water to the capital, while authorities responded that the municipality in fact was responsible for the delivery of water throughout the capital.
