Legal dispute over planned hydroelectric plant in Diyarbakır

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change has issued a second "Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) positive" decision in October 2023 for the Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) to be built by Maya Energy Production Company on an area of 67,450 square meters on the Zorê Stream, located between Sason district of Batman and Kulp district of Diyarbakır.

In response to this decision, Ahmet İnan, the General Secretary of the City and Environment Commission of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, filed a lawsuit with the Diyarbakır Administrative Court for the "suspension and annulment" of the decision.

According to a report on Mezopotamya Agency (MA), following the application, the Diyarbakır 2nd Administrative Court decided to conduct a new inspection and expert examination in the valley on April 6, 2024.

On April 30, a team of seven experts including hydrogeologists, environmentalists, biologists, geophysicists, cartographers, mining, and agricultural engineers will conduct an inspection and expert examination in the region.

About the project

After the HPPs planned on the Sarım Stream and Geliyê Godernê, which are among the rare natural beauties of Diyarbakır, it is planned to build a dam on the Zorê Stream, which is also used as a recreational area by the local people and has valuable water resources.

Despite the court's decision to suspend the execution, Diyarbakır and Batman Bar Associations filed a lawsuit against the new positive EIA report. If the dam is constructed, Zorê Stream and Zorê Valley will be submerged. Hamzalı Village and 10 hamlets affiliated with the Kulp district of Diyarbakır will be affected, and 452 parcels and an area of 67,450 square meters in the Zorê Valley will also be submerged. (TY/VK)