Hikmet Tunç 

 

VAN - Citizens whose houses and barns were destroyed due to the flood, which entered its fourth day in Esenyamaç Neighborhood, drew attention to the effect of the unmaintained canal on the flood disaster, and it turned out that the neighborhood did not benefit from any services of the municipality, which has been in the hands of the trustee for two terms. Citizens blamed DSI and the trustee as responsible for the grievances they experienced.

 

Due to the downpour that has been effective in Van for the last week, floods have occurred in many provinces and districts. Hundreds of sheep died due to the flood, while dozens of houses and barns were damaged and became unusable. In particular, 13 neighborhoods in the Baskale district of the city were affected by the flood. In one of them, Esenyamaç (Xaşkan) Neighborhood, the downpour that continued for three days caused at least 30 houses and barns to be damaged. On the other hand, hundreds of small cattle died due to the flood.

 

While it was observed that eight houses were completely destroyed in Esenyamaç Neighborhood, the living materials in the house were also flooded. On the other hand, there was a dent caused by the flood on the road in the neighborhood, and the houses built on the side of the road were destroyed.

 

Canal was damaged

 

It turned out that the canal passing through the neighborhood and built by the Van State Hydraulic Works (DSI) in 2011 was not cleaned, not maintained and not repaired by the district trustee. While it was stated by the citizens that the canal is narrow and does not carry the incoming water, it was pointed out that the canal was damaged at many points and that the living places on the sides of the stream were destroyed for this reason.

 

Rotating watch in the neighborhood

 

Due to the flood, the residents of the neighborhood take turns keeping watch in the face of possible floods while they go up to the hills for their life safety. It was observed that many citizens, including children, were protected by being wrapped in blankets that they could obtain outside the settlements that had become uninhabitable.

 

Power cut, difficulty in accessing water

 

Another remarkable detail was the deployment of village guards, soldiers and police at the entrances and exits of the neighborhood, where not a single tent was set up, as four days passed since the disaster. In the neighbourhood, where the power outage is still not resolved, drinking water is supplied by women transporting them from far places in heavy bidons.

 

The neighborhood, which has a population of approximately 400, consists of houses made of stone and earthen on both sides of the rising foothills. Even a light rain, where the streams pass from both sides of the settlement, where the population is in the majority, is at risk of flooding.

 

Channels not cleaned, no substructure

 

Rabia Acar, one of the residents of the neighborhood, stated that the canals have not been cleaned and no substructure has been built so far, and said that the grocery store they established in the neighborhood was damaged due to the flood and was in a unusable condition. Rabia also stated that she lost her jewelry in the house due to the flood.

 

‘The wall of the house collapsed’

 

Zerdal Korkmaz, who stated that there had been floods in the neighborhood many times before, stated that the walls of the house had collapsed. Noting that the reason for this was the deep potholes formed on the road in the neighborhood, Zerdal added that there was no safety of life and said; ‘’We can't sleep in our house because it could collapse at any moment.’’

 

She came face to face with death

 

Melek Atlı, who stated that she ran to save her flooded sheeps, but came face to face with death due to flooding, also stated that her house was completely unusable and had no place to go. Melek said that she spent the night at her neighbors with her mother and siblings, and during the day she tried to save her belongings that had sunk into the mud inside the house.

 

‘I was afraid I would not be able to save my children’

 

Çiğdem Gürbüz, one of the residents of the neighborhood, noted that while she was leaving the house to milk her sheep, the flood occurred, while the wall of her house collapsed. Çiğdem stated that she could only save her children in this situation and said: ‘’I was very afraid that I would not be able to save my children. Luckily, nothing happened to my children.’’