Sewage water flowing intermittently into the sea since January continues to cause environmental pollution along the Bosporus in Istanbul's Üsküdar district.
For about two and a half months, domestic wastewater from a sewage system in the Çengelköy neighborhood has been discharging into the sea near Kuleli Street. The pollution has turned parts of the water brown, raising concerns among locals.
Ibrahim Ülger, a frequent fisherman in the area, said the problem has persisted for years without intervention. “Sewage water and trash constantly flow into the sea, but no one seems to care. In summer, the smell becomes unbearable,” he told the Anadolu Agency (AA).
Ülger noted that while authorities occasionally clean the pollution with sea sweepers, no work has been done on the sewage system for the past two years. “In hot weather, the water from these drains stinks. Officials should come, inspect, clean and maintain them,” he said.
Other fishermen said the contamination has led to fish deaths, as some fish gather near the discharge site to feed on waste. They also claimed that no concrete measures have been taken to address the issue.
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change launched an investigation into the wastewater discharge in January. On Feb. 23, ministry inspectors confirmed that domestic sewage was being released into the sea in front of Kuleli Military High School. They reported that the wastewater, discharged into the Special Environmental Protection Area of the Marmara Sea, was brown and foamy.
Due to repeated violations, authorities imposed a doubled fine on the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI), a municipal agency under the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, amounting to TL 2.67 million ($82,000).
In a statement on March 6, ISKI said it had completed a project to permanently resolve the issue, obtaining a permit for pipeline renewal through the pipe-jacking method. Construction began on Feb. 10, and the agency notified the provincial environment department. ISKI also said it would appeal the fine, arguing that legal action would be taken against the penalty.
