The EIA report prepared for the Kanal İstanbul was opened for the opinion of the citizens by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. The report states that the excavation phase of the project will last for 4 years, while the total excavation of the canal is expected to be over one billion cubic meters.

The most controversial issue of the last period prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared for the Kanal İstanbul project was found sufficient and opened to public opinion by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization today. The final EIA report will be suspended for 10 days for comments and suggestions.

According to the latest EIA report prepared for Kanal İstanbul, which will be made with a price of 75 billion liras; The project is planned to be completed in 7 years.

The project is 45 km long and 20.75 meters deep over Küçükçekmece, Avcılar, Arnavutköy and Başakşehir. Approximately 275 million cubic meters of excavation will be made annually. The total amount of excavation from the channel was calculated as 1 billion 155 million 668 thousand cubic meters. 1 billion 79 million 252 thousand cubic meters of this amount of land excavation, 76 million 416 thousand cubic meters of sea and lake screening will constitute. 800 million cubic meters of the 1.1 billion cubic meters of excavation planned to be carried out on land along the channel will be carried out in the section connected to the Black Sea.

As a result of the studies carried out within the scope of the operation (traffic) simulation and determination of the canal operation principle within the scope of Kanal İstanbul Project, it was decided to operate the canal one way. Within the scope of Kanal İstanbul Project; In the canal, emergency mooring areas, emergency response centers, canal entry and exit structures, infrastructure and superstructures such as ship traffic systems, port, logistics center, marina, coastal structures that will provide access across the channel at the required points, fortifications and coastal facilities such as landfills.

The projects to be developed as integrated with Kanal İstanbul Project are; Marmara and Black Sea Container Ports, Küçükçekmece Yacht Harbor and Black Sea coastal recreation fill and logistic area fill. Recreation and logistic area on the Black Sea coast will be made 54 million 605 thousand 865 square meters in total. The material will be used in the excavation.

Approximately 8-10 thousand people will be employed during the construction phase of the project and 500-800 people will be employed during the operation phase. The construction area, defined as the working area, was calculated to be approximately 63.2 million square meters. After the construction activities are completed, the area up to the canal structure approach limit will be 25.75 million square meters, which will be abandoned for other public needs. The area to be used for the canal was announced as 37.5 million square meters.

MIGRATION WAYS OF BIRDS WILL BE DETACHED

A total of 124 bird species belonging to 21 race and 44 families were identified along the canal route. Stating that some of the bird species identified in the report use certain parts of the project area as wintering area, breeding area and accommodation area, it is thought that the greatest impact of the project activity on birds will be habitat loss. Küçükçekmece Lake is the richest area in terms of species diversity in the project area. It creates favorable areas around the nature and water for both wintering species, breeding species and species that migrate during migration time. The loss of these areas will affect the reproduction and wintering populations of some critically important species. In order to prevent these, it is recommended that some of the Küçükçekmece Lake be separated by a set and its current state should be preserved and a habitat similar to the reeds area in Altınşehir should be established within the preserved lake area.”