19 February 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The water levels of the Meriç and Tunca rivers have dropped in flood-stricken Edirne, allowing residents of the northwestern province to start to rebuild their lives. As the rivers recede, floodwaters have started to subside in the city’s Karaağaç neighborhood, the area most affected by the flood. According to the State Waterworks Authority (DSİ), the flow rates of the Meriç and Tunca rivers have dropped by about 5 percent.
The toll of the flood in the region, which had been inundated for four days can now be assessed. While neither the total damage nor the cost of the necessary repairs has yet been calculated, several roads that served as the city’s main traffic arteries and those that connected it to the Bulgarian border have been seriously damaged by the flood. Agricultural land in the area is also believed to have been ravaged by the deluge. Relief teams are still in the region and ready to engage in the event of another disaster, which officials note is unlikely to happen. The mayor of Edirne’s İpsala district, Mehmet Karagöz, told reporters that residents no longer have anything to fear.In the meantime, the historic Tunca and Meriç bridges over the two rivers have been reopened to traffic, and residents can now travel between Karaağaç and the city center. During the flood, those who needed to make this trip had to be transported by military vehicles.
