In the Bodrum district of Muğla, southwestern Türkiye, two streams have changed color and now emit a foul odor due to unchecked waste and pollution.
Nihat Koyuncu, spokesperson for the Bodrum City Council's Ecology and Environment Group, claimed that wastewater is being discharged into the streams without adequate treatment at the treatment plant, stating: "The streams need rehabilitation."
It was observed that the water from the stream flowing from Kabadayı Street in the Gündoğan neighborhood and the Azmakbaşı Stream has turned black in certain spots, with waste and trash found in some areas.
Residents in the vicinity expressed their discomfort with the foul-smelling stream and called for a solution from the authorities regarding the pollution and odor; Koyuncu warned that heavy rainfall could cause flooding due to waste in the streams, saying: "They are discharging poorly treated water from the treatment plant into the stream, approximately 250 meters from the village toward the beach via a pipe. The stream meets the coastline at the intersection of Pazar Street, where pollution is at its peak."
"This is a place that urgently requires stream rehabilitation work under the supervision of the Muğla Water and Sewerage Administration (MUSKİ). The accumulated waste here will be washed into the sea with rain. We have experienced this before, and I have repeatedly communicated this to the authorities. These streams need to be rehabilitated," he added.
Koyuncu continued: "They have destroyed the sea in Gündoğan. The people here are complaining about the bacteria in the sea. A Blue Flag has been awarded to a beach where two dirty streams flow, which I cannot comprehend. If they do not keep the stream clean, citizens will not hesitate to throw more waste into it. Even those who litter should be punished."
"The locals are complaining about this smell. It's impossible for it not to smell this way. The odor originates from the bacteria. If the stream were clean, people would not be throwing waste into it. The streams urgently need to be cleaned, and all the blocked sections where the stream meets the sea need to be removed," he said.
Nazmiye Kara, a local resident, said: "There is a terrible situation here. This water flows into the sea, and people can catch all sorts of germs from it. We are also disturbed by the smell here. We collected signatures, but no one has shown any interest. This is a holiday destination. People do not come here to see filth. They come to have a holiday."
