Turkey begins work on water supply project for Cyprus

The Government of Turkey has started construction work on the TL1.1bn ($606.8m) Turkish Cyprus Water Supply Project, in order to provide the drought hit island with enough water for drinking and irrigation purposes.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in the city of Mersin, in southern Turkey.

The international water supply project will be executed by the Turkish State Hydraulic Works (DSI) to divert water from southern Turkey to northern Cyprus through an 80km submarine pipeline, which will be constructed 250m deep in the Mediterranean Sea.

DSi, as part of the project work, will also build a dam, a pumping station at both ends and install the pipeline to transfer water from one country to another.

Water will be supplied via the submarine pipeline to the Geçikköy Dam in Turkish Cyprus.

The water supply project is expected to be followed by another project which aims to transmit electricity to Cyprus.

Turkey Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay was quoted by Hurriyet Daily News as saying that: "We intend to complete the electricity-transmission project at about the same time as the water project."

The drought hit island will receive about 75 million cubic metres of water every year via the pipeline, out of which 15 million cubic metres is expected to be used for drinking purposes while the remaining water will be used for irrigation. The project work is expected to be completed by 14 March 2014.

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Image: Turkey will supply drinkable and irrigation water to the drought hit island of Cyprus. Photo courtesy of Manojkiyan.