Drought alert in Konya

Konya Technical University Head of Geological Engineering Department and Director of Obruk Research and Application Center Prof. Dr. Fetullah Arık stated that “thanks to the work carried out with AFAD for 3 years, we have found out that the number of sinkholes in the region is around 2,500 by the end of 2022.

The number of sinkholes in the Konya Basin, which were formed by the withdrawal of ground water and the collapse of the soil, reached 2,500. While most of the sinkholes were formed in the district of Karapınar, in recent years they have started to be seen in the districts of Ereğli, Halkapınar, Emirgazi, Çumra and Cihanbeyli, Kulu, Yunak, Çeltik and Altınekin in the same region. AFAD and the Konya Technical University, the Sinkhole Application and Research Center, started a study 3 years ago to create a risk map in the regions where sinkholes were formed.

“NUMBER OF DEEP SINKHOLES IS APPROXIMATELY 700”

Obruk Research, Application Center Director Prof. Dr. Fetullah Arık, who conducts the studies, said that “the number of sinkholes in the city has reached 2,500. “As a result of the work we have done with AFAD on the sinkholes in the region for 3 years, we mention about 2,500 sinkholes as of the end of 2022. Not all of them are in the form of deep holes that we are used to seeing. Technically, we say that by including collapse structures. The number of deep sinkholes is still around 700. There are also shallow sinkholes nearly 1700-1800.”

“SINKHOLES INCREASE DUE TO DROUGHT AND USE OF GROUND WATER”

Prof. Dr. Arık also pointed out that “the number of the sinkholes in surrounding cities increases. There is a significant increase in the number of sinkholes in the cities close to Konya, especially in Eskişehir. The formation of sinkholes has also become widespread in the surrounding cities. However, when we evaluate it, drought and the use of groundwater in our country appear as a serious factor in the increase in the number of sinkholes.