“The Capital of Smoke”… Baghdad is immersed in terrifying scenes as if from another planet
“The Capital of Smoke”… Baghdad is immersed in terrifying scenes as if from another planet
2024-10-14 00:47
Shafaq News/ The phenomenon of rising pollution levels in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, was renewed today, Monday, reaching dangerous levels that exceed those recorded in previous days.
Videos documented by citizens showed that visibility was almost non-existent in one of the areas in central Baghdad, near the Green Zone, which is supposed to be full of trees.
In another video clip documented by citizens in the Bismayah residential complex southeast of Baghdad at dawn today, a terrifying scene appeared reflecting the extent of air pollution and lack of visibility in the city.
For its part, the Iraqi Ministry of Environment announced the holding of an “emergency” session to discuss solutions to air pollution in Baghdad, headed by the governor of the capital. It said in a statement that the session witnessed an extensive discussion of the problem of air pollution and ways to confront it.
In this context, an informed source reported that the Iraqi government is studying a proposal to move the Dora refinery outside the capital. The source told Shafaq News Agency that the Council of Ministers is studying a proposal to dismantle and move the refinery from Baghdad. The proposal includes offering the refinery area in Baghdad for an investment project.
In the same context, citizens in Baghdad expressed their dissatisfaction with the severe pollution crisis that the city is suffering from. Abbas Al-Jubouri, a university professor, said, “I went to work in the morning and was shocked by this scene, as if we were on another planet like Mars. Where are the authorities from this? What is happening?”
He stressed that visibility was almost non-existent, which prompted some people to wear masks to protect themselves from pollution.
Hussein Hamid, a government employee, expressed his concern, saying: “I feel sad and afraid of what is happening in Baghdad. The scenes of pollution and dark smoke covering the capital’s sky have become part of our daily lives, as if we live on another planet far from purity and clean air.”
Citizens called on the competent authorities to intervene urgently to take effective measures to reduce this dangerous phenomenon and improve air quality in the capital.
The Ministry of Environment had previously explained that the harmful gas emissions and foul odors suffered by the residents of Baghdad, especially late at night, are due to the burning of black oil in power plants, asphalt and brick factories, in addition to the setting of fires in unsanitary landfills on the outskirts of the capital.
In a move that reflects the government’s seriousness in addressing this issue, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani issued directives on Saturday to form a specialized ministerial committee to address the problem of air pollution in Baghdad’s skies, to submit its recommendations within two days.
For many days now, the foul smell of sulfur and the foggy sky have dominated the atmosphere in Baghdad, which has led to residents’ discontent with the spread of thick smoke that has covered the city for days.
Smoke covered areas north of Baghdad, reaching Diyala Governorate and the borders of the Kurdistan Region, without knowing the source, which prompted citizens to demand urgent solutions to avoid serious diseases resulting from this pollution.
In this context, the Green Iraq Observatory, which specializes in environmental affairs, attributed the frequent spread of the smell of sulfur in the skies of the capital, Baghdad, to the use of high-sulfur oil in power plants.
The observatory warned that Baghdad’s air, especially in recent days, has become loaded with hazardous materials that threaten the health of children and the elderly, noting that Baghdad has recorded for the first time an air pollution rate of 515%.
shafaq.com
