Edirne canal to stop flooding of Meriç river

EDİRNE

A canal project developed by former Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroğlu to prevent flooding of the Meriç (Evros) River in the northwestern province of Edirne has now been actualized, daily Milliyet has reported.

The river, which starts in Bulgaria and flows throughout the Turkish-Greece border, causes flooding from time to time, especially in winters, after heavy precipitation. The Karaağaç neighborhood gets submerged and the connection between the city center and the Pazarkule border gate gets barricaded after every heavy precipitation.

“Now it is over,” Eroğlu, who is the mastermind behind the “Edirne Canal,” told the daily on March 14.

Calling the canal a “project winding the city,” Eroğlu said, “We know many flooding incidents throughout history. All the historical artifacts get submerged after every rainfall or snowfall.”

When asked why he worked on the canal project, he noted, “I feel a connection with Edirne, so I decided to develop and actualize the project.”

Within the scope of the project, an artificial river has been formed nearby the real river.

“Finally, we have a sister river of Meriç,” the former minister expressed proudly.

However, the construction work is not over yet. Eroğlu underlined that a 22-kilometer long hiking trail would be constructed along the canal, which is expected to be a new sightseeing place for locals and tourists visiting the province.