Severe water shortage hits Baghdad suburbs

Residents of Baghdad’s suburbs have been experiencing serious water shortages for a month due to poor infrastructure, leaking pipes and wastage, according to experts. “Water wastage in the capital, along with bad infrastructure, has increased,” said Saleh Ra’ad, a senior official at the Ministry of Water Resources. “Now Iraqis are suffering the consequences and have only a few hours of water daily.” Nearly half a million people have been affected by the scarcity. In some areas, water is available for only a few hours at night and for less than two hours during the day in other areas. Nearly 300 water tanks have been distributed by the government and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society in various areas of the capital. Some residents, however, must walk large distances to reach them. “I have to walk almost 6 km to get clean water when the improvised tanks are empty,” said Safwat Ali, a resident of the Sadr suburb. “It’s a shame for a country surrounded by two of the biggest rivers in the Middle East.” Observers say the Baghdad water purifying plant, which supplies the capital, is simply unable to meet local demand. “We’re trying to expand the old water plant by building new projects to cover 40 percent of the capital’s water supply,” said Abdul Kareem Abbas, technical director at Baghdad’s municipal Water Directorate. Officials, however, are quick to point out that water wastage is rife. "We’re trying to raise awareness on television about the costs of wasting water in houses, car washes and factories,” said Abbas. “We’re also asking religious leaders at the mosques to urge people to stop wasting clean water.” Water shortages have traditionally occurred in Baghdad during the summer months, due to the intensive use of air conditioning, public swimming pools and increased washing activity. This year, however, marks the first time shortages have been recorded in the winter months. "It’s the first time we don’t have water during winter,” said Jawad Hakeem, resident of a Baghdad suburb. “They say it’s a problem with the pipes, but I believe that careless maintenance and corruption are the main factors behind the shortage.” The problem has been compounded by dramatic increases in the urban population in recent decades due to countrywide poverty. Since 1969, about 700,000 Iraqis have moved to the capital, which has a current population of 6.5 million. Officials, meanwhile, blame bad infrastructure on the previous Saddam Hussein regime as well as a current lack of investment. “The truth is that we’re receiving very little investment in infrastructure projects,” said Ra’ad. Years of United Nations sanctions on Iraq resulted in a lack of infrastructure development between 1991 and 2002, Ra’ad pointed out. He went on to note that inferior materials were used in many water and sewage projects built in that period.