THERMAL POWER PLANT IN KAHRAMANMARAS EMİTS INTO AIR RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES TWO TIMES MORE THAN THE AMOUNT OBSERVED IN CHERNOBYL CATASTROPHE

The Thermal Power Plant which has been in effect for about 25 years despite the lack of flu gas purification system causes massive environmental disaster. The ash-keeper filters have been out of order for about 15 years and this factory continues to discharge 15 millions tons of solid,liquid,gas and poisonous radioactive wastes over the people living in the region.

Most Turkish scientists and doctors state that this factory gives twice as much radiactive gas as the one emitted in well-known chernobyl disaster every year.Statistics are horribly striking in that 4632 people are reported to have died of a variety of diseases,mainly cancer and lung as a result of being exposed to gas from this factory.One of the mayor of the village says that the rate of the air pollution reaches up to 10 times as high as Standardized air pollution rate and adds that this environmental disaster which even changes the color of snow from white to gray leads to frightening number of cancer incidents.One of the workers who has already developed cancer states bitterly that he must continue to work there to support his family.Another worker who also lost his father due to cancer event shares the same idea.The scientists emphasise that as a result of coal-burning, the gas and powders are released and these gases lead to chronical lung complications and asthma.They have observed within the workers such illnesses as urinary incontinence,hearing loss,stress,ulcer and some metabolic problems.Prof.Doctor.Mr. Tuncer utters that the concrete results of this factory will be observed in 10 years’ time.He also clarifies the fact that people frequently tend to develop lung cancer which has little chance of survival and adds,the Unit A in the factory emits 15 millions of tons of solid,liquid and gas disposals every year.The Prof.Doctor.Mr. Sahin, the instructor of Mechanical Engineering Department at Gazi Univesity also says that provided that the obligatory measurements are not carried out and precautions not taken, the results will be much more worse.He implies that he disagrees on shutting down the factory but expects the authorities to install filter and follow the necessary steps to do the radioactive measurements.


A representative of non-governmental environmental organisation called “ Warriors of Nature”says, the Standard global air pollution values must be 150 micrograms,however, this value is 1500 micrograms in this factory.Doctor Mr. Agat, the official representative of TEMA( National Environment Association) declares that sulfur value in one cubic meter in air must be 1000 nenogram;however, this rate has increased up to higher values and thus harms to plants considerably.He also stresses out that gases emitted from factory have caused the herbaceous plants,trees and lands to be infertile.The mayor of a local province claims that while the number of the patients is expected to be 48200 on average ,this number reaches up to 300000 per year.Most of the people interviewed in Afsin-Elbistan have contracted Cancer.To illustrate this, a three-year-old boy named Sedat and 6 year-old boy ,Osman have developed skin cancer following being exposed to smoke and gas from the factory.The oncology doctors who treated them have declared to them “if you want your children to live,you must move to another city,otherwise, they will lose their lives in 5 years’ time.”



WARRIORS OF THE WORLD


11 members of an environmental organisation “Warriors of the world”(WOFTHEW) ,protested the activities of the campaign led by governor “enlightened human,clean environment and livable village project”





The leader of the group,Mr. Igci,bitterly utters that although there exists devastating environmental disaster with tons of ashes in Afsin-Elbistan Thermal Power Plant,it seems very absurd and ununderstandable to collect waste papers in the city centre of Kahramanmaras.

The group which gathered in front of the Private Management Building demonstrated and showed banners” Environmentally-friendly governor is closing down the factory” “The villages are full of ashes not rubbish” to point out the situation.

The group coordinator Mr. Coskun states that “there is an ongoing environmental catastrophe in the factory in Afsin-Elbistan.” Moreoever, this factory has discharged a great deal of ashes and wastes into nature and though this place has had no flu gas purification system, it maintains to cause environmental disaster.”A great number of villages have been destroyed and many people have suffered from diseases and many others have had to immigrate.”