Farmers in Turkey's Breadbasket see increasing threat of sinkholes
(MENAFN) In Konya, Turkey's agricultural heartland known as the breadbasket of the country, the menace of sinkholes looms large for farmers like Fatih Sik. At 45 years old, Fatih navigates his tractor through vast cornfields with a constant fear that the ground beneath him could suddenly give way.
Already, two enormous sinkholes have opened up on Fatih's land in Karapinar, a region where sinkholes have been a longstanding issue but have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Experts attribute this surge to intensified droughts leading to excessive use of groundwater for irrigation.
Arif Delikan, an associate professor at Konya Technical University, has identified a staggering 640 sinkholes in the Konya region, with over 600 concentrated in Karapinar alone. He points to climate change as a major factor exacerbating this phenomenon. Sinkholes, which can plunge as deep as 50 meters (165 feet), pose significant risks in the flat, expansive fields of corn, beetroot, wheat, and clover that characterize the Konya plain.
These sinkholes form when underground water dissolves the bedrock, causing the surface to collapse suddenly and sometimes without warning. The situation has become so concerning that the government's AFAD disaster agency has identified over 2,700 areas with surface deformations and non-seismic fractures that signal potential sinkhole risks requiring urgent investigation.
The issue of sinkholes has not only captured the attention of scientists and disaster response agencies but has also entered cultural discourse. In Turkish director Emin Alper's 2022 film "Burning Days," sinkholes serve as a symbolic representation of societal fractures, highlighting their profound impact beyond physical landscapes.
For farmers like Fatih Sik, the daily reality of working amidst this geological uncertainty underscores the precarious balance between livelihood and environmental risk. Despite the dangers, the necessity of farming drives them forward, as they navigate the unpredictable landscape shaped by both nature and human activity.
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