Lake Van cleaning project removes 2.38 million cubic meters of sludge

Efforts to protect and decontaminate Lake Van have resulted in the removal of 2,385,000 cubic meters of bottom sludge and silt since the project began in 2021. Coordinated by the Van Metropolitan Municipality, the initiative aims to preserve the lake's ecological structure and prevent environmental pollution.

The cleaning operation is being conducted in three stages across a 13.9 kilometer area. The first two stages, covering the 15 July Martyrs Park and Yaşar Kemal Park areas, are complete. The third stage spans the region between Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and Van Castle. Authorities have set a target to remove an additional 2.8 million cubic meters of sludge.

Approximately 12 billion Turkish Lira has been allocated to the project, which includes work in various parts of the basin, such as the Ahlat and Tatvan districts of Bitlis. The operation currently utilizes 36 pieces of heavy machinery, and wastewater treatment efforts are also ongoing as part of the Lake Van Basin Protection Action Plan.