Today, with factors such as rapid population growth, industrial development, global warming, and climate change—particularly the increasing demand for drinking water—the importance of limited clean water resources has become even more evident. For the sustainability of our country, as well as for sustainable development and food security, the efficient use of water resources, conservation, and water management have become indispensable.

Within the irrigation system, which comprises over 700 kilometers of canals, the section with the highest losses is the 32-kilometer-long part of the Apa Alemdar Transmission Canal (the Main Transmission Canal), located between Apa Dam and Çumra Center. Over the long-term average, significant losses have been recorded in the 350 million cubic meters of water allocated for irrigation in this section.

To provide a short-term solution to the problem, prevent water losses in the canals, and maximize the benefits from irrigation, a project was developed through the cooperation of the 4th Regional Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Karatay Municipality, and the Konya Plain Project (KOP) Regional Development Administration.

As the most cost-effective model with the highest calculated profitability and annual net benefit, the method of “Concrete Lining of Earth Canals” was selected. It was proposed under the name “Apa Dam Irrigation Canal Rehabilitation Project” in the 2021 Additional Investment Program and approved by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, registered under the program number 2021A01-175352.

The project is being implemented by the DSİ 4th Regional Directorate within the framework of a protocol dated 24 December 2021, with funding provided by the KOP Regional Development Administration, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and Karatay Municipality. A total of 4.55 kilometers of the canal has been lined with concrete. The project budget amounted to 38,134,310.87 TL (including VAT), of which 30 million TL was provided by the KOP Regional Development Administration, 4,134,310.87 TL by Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and 4 million TL by Karatay Municipality as co-financing.

In line with the irrigation plan for the 2024 irrigation season, water was released from Apa Dam on 24 April 2024 to irrigate the lands of the Çumra Irrigation Union. However, after the fourth day, nine separate sinkhole formations were observed in unlined sections at the beginning and end of the rehabilitated area, which are particularly susceptible to such geological phenomena. The notable point is that in the sections rehabilitated with concrete lining under the Apa Dam Irrigation Canal Rehabilitation Project, no adverse issues were encountered. The canal functioned properly, preventing water losses and, thanks to the increased flow speed, significantly contributing to agricultural irrigation activities.