Soils in north of Crimea become unsuitable for agricultural works

As a result of salinization during the years of occupation, the soils in the north of Crimea became unsuitable for agricultural works.

"Since 2014, the occupiers in Crimea have issued many licenses for ground water extraction. This has affected the ecology, soil salinization has occurred. And now the north of Crimea is salinized soil which has actually become unsuitable for agricultural works," Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Tamila Tasheva said during the national news telethon.

Before 2014, more than 1 billion cubic meters of water per year flowed to the peninsula through the North Crimean Canal, 75% of this amount went to the needs of industry and agriculture.

"Local water, in particular ground water, was used for the needs of the population – up to 950 billion cubic meters per year. Therefore, there was plenty of water for the people after the Canal was closed, but the occupiers did not have enough of it, in particular, to ensure the operation of the military infrastructure. Now they have restored the water supply through the North Crimean Canal and started supplying it to the eastern and western parts of the peninsula through underground pipelines," Tasheva said.