No Water, No Life: Turkish Village on Verge of Extinction Without Water

The villagers of Orenkuyu in the province of Diyarbakır have been struggling to survive for years as their main source of income, cattle breeding, is at risk due to a catastrophic lack of water.

Orenkuyu villagers built a water reservoir using their own money in 1994. The reservoir, however, only supplies water for 10-15 minutes a day, and its quality leaves much to be desired.

Main source of income of the villagers - cattle breeding - is at risk due to a catastrophic lack of water

© Sputnik / Sertac Kayar

After numerous failures to resolve the issue at the municipal level, the villagers collected money and drilled a well, but their problems did not end there.

For several months, Orenkuyu's residents have been unable to obtain permission from local authorities to connect the network to pump water from the well into the reservoir.

The only water reservoir supplies water for 10-15 minutes a day

© Sputnik / Sertac Kayar

In the village of 150 houses, there are nearly 40,000 heads of large and small cattle. Thus, the problem of water shortages, especially in the spring and summer, becomes particularly sensitive.

The only regular source of water for the villagers is a well 2 km away from the village, but residents may also lose this source because of the severe drought that is currently observed in the region. The villagers have to bring their livestock to the well to get water, and they have to pour drinking water for their needs into buckets and take it home on donkeys.

The villagers drilled a well, but their problems did not end

© Sputnik / Sertac Kayar

'Any More and We Won't be Able to Breed Livestock Anymore'

In an interview with Sputnik, the villagers of Orenkuyu spoke about the difficulties they face in their struggle for water.

“The lack of water in our village is a huge blow to livestock production. Last year, the cattle had to endure a whole week without water. More than 30 animals got sick. We have repeatedly complained about the problem to higher authorities, but to no avail. In the end, we contributed money, and about two months ago drilled a well, but it still has not been connected to the distribution network to pump water into the reservoir. Because of this, we are experiencing tremendous difficulties. We almost have no strength left to fight. Just a little longer and we won't be able to breed any more cattle," villager Yilmaz Polat complained.

According to Polat, the villagers sometimes have to bring water for the cattle by tractor, which is quite expensive. "It costs a lot of money, and for us it is an unaffordable expense. In these conditions, we cannot engage in livestock breeding, we are losing our hearts. But we contribute to the development of the country's economy with our work. Despite all the difficulties and difficult weather conditions, we continue to breed cattle. The only thing we want is for the authorities to listen to our problem," Polat said.

Only regular source of water for the villagers is a well 2 km away from the village, they have take water home in buckets on donkeys.

© Sputnik / Sertac Kayar

His brother, Ramazan Polat, added that without water, they could not fully feed the cattle.

“In summer, the lack of water is felt especially strongly. We have to drive the herds out to the pasture in Erzurum because there is not enough water or food for them here. How do we feed 40,000 cattle? There is a lake not far from the village, but the water in the lake is not drinkable because sewage waste is dumped there,” he noted.

"I have 200 cattle. The water problem is our main misfortune," villager Zeki Demir said. “The village has many residents and there is absolutely not enough drinking water. This problem needs to be solved as soon as possible; it can't go on like this,” Demir concluded.

The villagers afraid they will not be able to breed livestock.

© Sputnik / Sertac Kayar