Iraq News Now

Shafaq News/ Baghdad, once known for its historical grandeur, now suffers from a modern-day dilemma - a trinity ?f pollution that threatens the health and well-being ?f its residents. As smoke carcinogens linger ?n the air, a deadly river silently courses through its veins, and landfill sites expand, the capital ?f Iraq finds itself at the crossroads ?f an environmental crisis.

Iraq as a whole suffers from rising rates ?f environmental pollution, risks ?f drought, and desertification, stemming from decades ?f conflicts that have destroyed its infrastructure, a reality its people live with daily.

A Zone ?f Pollution

Areas southeast ?f Baghdad, surrounding the modern city ?f Bismayah, have turned into a zone ?f pollution, where waste, chemicals, and pollutants have covered its belt and infiltrated its waters.

Samer Mohammed, 37, a resident ?f Bismayah Residential City, says he has abandoned the use ?f sewage water due t? "its unsuitability for human consumption and its causing ?f skin diseases, forcing residents t? use sterilized water known as Reverse osmosis (RO) for a fee, which burdens them financially."

"Not only that," says Amer Ibrahim, 46, another resident ?f Bismayah, as he gazes up at the sky, "many times we see dusty air with sulfuric odors that we can't get rid of, only t? later discover that emanates from the smoke ?f brick and asphalt factories (illegal ones) that surround us."

The words ?f this man were confirmed by the "Green Iraq" observatory concerned with the environment. The observatory indicated over the past year, "numerous complaints from the residents ?f the Bismayah Residential City, which ?s home t? about 100,000 people, regarding the existence ?f environmental pollution there. This ?s due t? the presence ?f brick and asphalt factories near them, specifically, the smoke ?f these factories located ?n village 10, as well as ?n Jurf Naddaf within the Al-Mada'in district (southeast ?f Baghdad), were recorded by its monitors."

The observatory added that "these factories continue t? operate despite their violation ?f the Ministry ?f Environment's instructions and the government's ministerial program. The Global Quality Index also mentioned this pollution within the measurement ?f the capital's air quality, which has dropped t? 124th place among world countries."

According t? a member ?f the Green Iraq Observatory, Omar Abdul Latif, these "illegal" factories continue their operations at full speed without regard for environmental conditions, explaining that they emit "sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which significantly increase air pollution ?n the capital and create compounded damages."

The "illegal" factories rely ?n fossil fuels ?n their operations, with a number ?f workers operating for longer hours than usual.

Killer River

On the road leading t? the new city, residents ?f the Jisr Diyala area, southeast ?f Baghdad, complain about the river passing through their area, which has turned into a "channel ?f heavy water" and has become a source ?f diseases due t? its unsuitability for human, agricultural, and animal use, expressing their astonishment at the lack ?f response from the concerned authorities regarding the current situation.

The "killer river," composed ?f polluted water, pours into the Tigris River, turning ?t from a source ?f drinking, agriculture, fishing, and livestock breeding into a landfill for waste and a source ?f dangerous environmental pollution threatening the lives ?f nearly 200,000 people.

Ironically, according t? local officials, "residents are not t? blame for dumping waste ?n the river, but government institutions are responsible, as vehicles belonging t? the Baghdad Capital Directorate transport and dump sewage waste into the Diyala River, due t? the shutdown ?f many heavy water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants and their deterioration, as well as the lack ?f sufficient modern treatment plants t? cover the increasing volume."

Local residents said that "the waters ?f the Diyala River have become 100% polluted, and ?t ?s one ?f the causes for the transmitting ?f cholera, which ?s spreading greatly and dangerously ?n these areas. The water has also turned green with a foul smell."

As for farmers, they said that "agriculture ?n the area n? longer relies ?n the semi-dry and polluted water ?f this river, but they have resorted t? alternative methods, including using wells t? irrigate their crops."

The former governor ?f Baghdad ordered the construction ?f two additional bridges over the "polluted" river, which were later opened t? alleviate the congestion ?n the single Diyala bridge after the establishment ?f the city ?f Bismayah and the increase ?n the number ?f vehicles passing through it, without addressing the problem ?f the river emitting the smell ?f heavy water and causing harm t? passersby and residents nearby.

On December 9, 2023, UNICEF announced the opening ?f eight sewage treatment stations ?n the Medical City ?n Baghdad, benefiting more than 3.5 million people ?n Baghdad, stating that more than 2,300 cubic meters ?f untreated sewage water were being discharged and dumped into the Tigris River daily, exacerbating the deterioration ?f natural resources and exposing residents and children t? serious health risks.

Debris And Waste

With the proliferation ?f random dumpsites near residential areas, turning them into polluted swamps, the daily waste production reaches about 14,000 tons, distributed between 4,000 tons generated by citizens and another 10,000 tons produced by companies, factories, and other sectors, according t? officials ?n the Ministry ?f Environment.

Waste ?s disposed ?f ?n Baghdad at two sites, the first ?n the Nebai area north ?f the capital, which accommodates about 7,000 tons daily, and the second site ?n Nahrawan t? the south accommodates about 3,000 tons daily.

Shafaq News has visited one ?f the waste disposal sites and rubble dumping areas ?n the Rustumiya region near Bismayah, which has caused bacterial and germ pollution by seeping into the water through the soil.

International standards for waste and rubble disposal emphasize the need t? allocate locations far from residential areas and t? lay cement foundations t? prevent the leakage ?f germs and pollutants into the soil and drinking water.

Environmental experts emphasize that "leaving waste for days ?n the form ?f heaps creates a polluted environment, and its germs spread through mosquitoes and insects t? all areas ?f the capital, Baghdad."

According t? environmental experts, "90% ?f the pollution ?n the Baghdad belt areas ?s due t? the spread ?f unhealthy waste disposal sites," attributing the significant pollution t? reasons related t? the dumping ?f waste with all its organic and inorganic components.

Official position

In parallel, Iraq has recorded an increase ?n the rates ?f cancer, respiratory, and gastrointestinal diseases due t? the rise ?n pollutants ?n the water, according t? a member ?f the parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, Bassem Al-Ghurabi, ?n a previous statement.

Al-Ghurabi pointed out that "pollution has worsened with the decrease ?n water levels ?n general and due t? the global climate crisis," confirming that "water pollution rates ?n 2021 were multiples ?f what ?s allowed. As for the years 2022 and 2023, the relevant authorities claim not t? have any pollution percentage due t? the lack ?f resources and the absence ?f specialized equipment."

Both Al-Ghurabi and the spokesperson for the Ministry ?f Water Resources, Khaled Shamal, attributed water pollution t? a combination ?f factors, including "sewage, as most treatment plants d? not operate efficiently, and governmental institutions such as (sewerage, electricity, health, industry, oil) dump about 80% ?f their waste into river waters without treatment, ?n addition t? private sector pollutants."

Both parties speaking t? the agency affirmed that "this has led t? water contamination and an increase ?n disease, especially ?n the southern governorates with low water levels due t? poor drainage, such as (Basra, Al-Diwaniya, Babil, Wasit, Muthanna, Maysan, Dhi Qar, and even ?n Baghdad)."

On his part, water and environmental expert Ahmed Saleh pointed out that "the government has taken a series ?f measures t? address the water crisis, including agreements with Iran t? release water into the Karun River, and agreements with Turkiye ?n the Euphrates releases, then the protocol agreements that will result from the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan during his upcoming visit t? Iraq."