Some 27 dams and 10 ponds have been built in the capital Ankara in the last 21 years, countering the city's water scarcity with a supply of nearly 320 million cubic meters, State Hydraulic Works (DSI) said Wednesday.

State Hydraulic Works (DSI) General Manager Mehmet Akif Balta stated that the institution has continued its work with the understanding that "Water is the Homeland" since the day it was founded, and stated that the DSI has developed a water storage capacity of 183 billion cubic meters with the dams and ponds it has put into operation.

Pointing out that 71 million decares of land have been opened to irrigation and approximately 2 million hectares of land have been protected from floods with the completed projects, Balta said, "With the drinking water facilities put into service, 5.2 billion cubic meters of drinking water of upstream quality is provided annually."

Referring to the investments in Ankara, Balta said: "Especially our modern irrigation projects are extremely important for our country. We opened 233,100 decares of agricultural land to irrigation with the 35 irrigation facilities we built in Ankara in the last 21 years."

Balta pointed out that they invested TL 80.24 billion ($2.59 billion) in 167 facilities to increase the level of welfare in the capital, and said, "We have built 27 dams and 10 ponds in Ankara in the last 21 years, thus reaching a water storage volume of 320 million cubic meters."

Emphasizing that Ankara farmers cultivate their agricultural lands with great effort and dedication, Balta said: "Currently, the construction works of seven dams are continuing. With the completion of these dams, we aim to provide irrigation water to another 47,080 decares of agricultural land. With 77 flood protection facilities completed in the last 21 years to reduce the flood risk, the safety of Ankara's city center, 116 communities and 1,200 decares of land has been ensured, while construction work of eight flood protection facilities continues."

Balta stated that the three hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) facilities put into operation produce 186.65 gigawatt hours of energy annually and said: "Thanks to these facilities with an installed power of 31.36 megawatts, we contribute TL 282.24 million annually to our national economy only in the field of energy. Approximately 31,360 of the energy needs of households are met with HEPPs installed in Ankara."