The village of Banka in Azerbaijan should have plentiful supplies of water as it lies beside one of the country’s mightiest rivers, the Kura. But the river has shallowed dramatically this summer and has become contaminated with salty seawater, in what experts warn is an unfolding ecological disaster. “Our animals are dying. We don’t get water in time,” said farmer Maryam Hasanova, as she waited for a truck to deliver water.
Originating in northeastern Turkey, the 1,515-kilometre (941-mile) river flows through Georgia and Azerbaijan into the Caspian Sea, playing a major role in the ecosystem of the entire Caucasus region. Close to the delta where Banka is located, the river’s current has slowed down so much that saltwater from the Caspian is flowing upstream. A communal water tank stands in the village street of one-storey houses waiting to be filled by deliveries from a truck.
Some villagers were filling plastic bottles with murky water directly from the river despite the saltwater contamination. Residents are angry about the government’s apparent indifference to their plight. People are “suffering from water shortages and the local authorities are refusing to listen to our complaints,” said one resident, Famil Hasanov. In April, the oil-rich country’s authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on the “rational” use of water resources and set up a governmental commission tasked with restoring the Kura’s water levels. Mammadov said the commission has recently tabled long-overdue guidelines that are essential for addressing the crisis. “The problem can be resolved if there is political will and if we stop abusing nature,” he said.
Source: Digital Journal
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