Over 800,000 cubic meters of bottom mud removed from Lake Van

VAN

In line with the Lake Van Basin Protection Action Plan, more than 800,000 cubic meters of bottom mud has been removed from Lake Van since 2019, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said.

After the commissioning of the Van Central Wastewater Treatment Plant and the reduction of pollution caused by animal waste, the removal of bottom mud has gained momentum.

“Our lake will always remain blue. We are working hard to protect our pearl, Lake Van, and to carry it to the future in its most beautiful form,” Kurum stated in a social media post.

To date, 807,000 cubic meters of bottom mud have been removed from the lake, the minister announced.

Lake Van, the country’s largest, covers an area of one-third of the Marmara Sea. The water level in the lake, which has been experiencing the driest period in recent years, has decreased disturbingly.

In Lake Van, considered the world’s largest soda lake, water withdrawal continues to increase severely due to drought caused by climate change and global warming.