River faces pollution catastrophe

The Melen River in Düzce province is littered with animal carcasses and garbage. Pollution also comes from sewage pipes that drain into the river. The water from the river reaches some of the approximately 12 million residents of Istanbul. A 189-kilometer pipeline transports water to Istanbul from the Melen River, which begins in Düzce and is fed by smaller streams from 12 valleys.

The draining of sewage and factory waste into the river has caused fishermen from the Gölkaya area to express concern. "We read that Istanbul residents drink this water. This is very sad. Look, carcasses of animals float by all the time," said fisherman Ahmet Kasapoğlu.

"Nobody comes here and shows any interest. This stream is always polluted," said Gölkaya resident Cihan Yazgan, 44. "It is not so much natural pollution, but human-created waste that pollutes the stream. People dump all their waste into the stream, even their blankets.

Düzce Mayor İsmail Bayram said work will commence to address the problem. "We will definitely prepare projects along with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality," he said.