Stating that the effect of precipitation on groundwater has not yet been clearly reflected in measurements, Konya Technical University Geological Engineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Fetullah Arık stated that the current situation is being followed closely. Pointing out the importance of adequate moisturizing of the soil, especially during the planting period, Prof. Dr. Arık advised farmers to benefit from the soil moisture created by rainfall instead of relying on groundwater.
"WE CAN SAY THAT THE DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER CONTINUES"
Emphasizing the need to protect groundwater, Geological Engineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Fetullah Arık pointed out that more effective and permanent planning should be made regarding water use in the region. Arık said, "The rains have given us some hope, but unfortunately, in the measurements, we can say that this effect is not clearly visible on the groundwater, and even that the decrease in groundwater continues. Therefore, in this winter period, during the planting period, the soil needs to be moistened. We are already in the planting period. However, we hope that our farmers will wait for the current rainy season to continue a little longer, without being too hasty. For this reason, rather than loading the groundwater, we recommend that they plant in soil moistened by rains, if possible. Because we all need to protect and protect the groundwater. This period." "More effective and permanent planning needs to be made regarding groundwater use in the region," he said.
704 SINKLETS IN THE REGION ARE IN KONYA
Drawing attention to the number of sinkholes in the plain, Prof. Dr. Fetullah Arık said, "There are approximately 734 sinkholes in the region. 704 of them are in Konya, the others are in Karaman and Aksaray. When we look at it numerically, we can observe that although the number of sinkholes has increased, the rate of increase has decreased slightly. Of course, reaching this conclusion with only one year's observation may not be correct in most cases. It is necessary to follow the number of sinkhole formations in the coming years. Our farmers are now aware of the situation. When they use more groundwater, the formation of sinkholes will increase." "They see that it will be triggered. It was stated that there are approximately 734 sinkholes in Konya, Karaman and Aksaray, and 704 of them are in Konya. While it was stated that the acceleration in the formation rate has decreased slightly, it was noted that it would not be correct to make a definitive evaluation based on only one year's data. Many studies on this are ongoing in the region. We hope that the sinkholes will decrease or even stop completely."
"WE HOPE THE SINKLET FORMATIONS WILL DECREASE"
Referring to the studies on sinkholes, Arık said, "In our European Union project, which we carry out together with Karatay Municipality in this region, we are working on some solutions to both save groundwater by using more economical irrigation methods and to prevent the efficiency from decreasing by using less water. Bahri Dağdaş Agricultural Research and Application Center especially contributes to these studies. We also have ongoing studies. In our studies, we especially focus on monitoring sinkholes and creating early warning systems in places where the movement exceeds a certain threshold. I hope that this will be achieved very much." There will be no need for sinkhole formation in the near future. Depending on the character and identity of our groundwater and the nature of the rocks, there are huge reserves of rocks underground. It is also possible for a significant part of these structures to dissolve. Therefore, from our studies here, we know that there is a very thick salt layer here. "There will also be dissolution. We can observe that sinkholes are very concentrated in some parts of the world, especially in salty and gypsum areas. There are similar situations in Sivas, Çankırı and Çorum regions in our country," he said.
