Amcaoğlu: Gönyeli Dam’s Height Has Fallen From 15.7 Metres To Just 2 Metres

Speaking on the Objektif programme on Kıbrıs Postası TV, hosted by Erçin Şahmaran, Amcaoğlu said the situation had reached a point where technical cleaning was no longer feasible, leaving the construction of a new dam as the only realistic option.

Amcaoğlu noted that in the first month after taking office, the municipality established a Climate Crisis Adaptation Centre and launched a series of initiatives, including the installation of a meteorological station, the creation of a search-and-rescue park and training programmes for municipal staff. He said cooperation with the Natural Disaster Search and Rescue Association had strengthened the municipality’s ability to respond to flooding.

He added that joint cleaning efforts carried out with Nicosia Turkish Municipality had reduced the impact of recent flooding by half, stressing that all reports from residents had been addressed.

Referring to structural problems in the area, Amcaoğlu said Yenikent lies on a natural stream bed and that blocked waterways and altered flow directions had increased flood risks. “Water flows and finds its way,” he said, adding that communities must adapt to changing conditions, particularly as rainfall patterns shift.

Recalling that 140 kilograms of rainfall had fallen in a short period, Amcaoğlu pointed to deadly floods in parts of Europe last year as a warning of the risks posed by extreme weather events. He also criticised construction on stream beds, saying this had exacerbated flooding.

Turning to the dams, Amcaoğlu said neither Gönyeli Dam nor nearby Kanlıköy Dam had been cleaned in more than 60 years, despite numerous governments taking office over that period. He said muddy sediment remained even in the driest sections of Gönyeli Dam, making proper cleaning technically impossible.

While approval had been granted by the Water Department for the cleaning of Kanlıköy Dam, Amcaoğlu said rainfall had begun before organisational preparations could be completed. He added that suitable land was available in the Kanlıköy area and that a new dam was now unavoidable.

Although the construction of new dams falls under the authority of the Water Department, Amcaoğlu said the municipality would continue to do everything within its remit to address the problem.