Following Shafaq News report, PM Al-Sudani orders immediate action on environmental crisis

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani ordered engineering teams to urgently address severe pollution in al-Jasmiyah Canal, located in Babil province, where contamination threatens the lives of over 15,000 residents in Al-Qasim district.

A government source told Shafaq News that PM Al-Sudani instructed the teams to implement "immediate measures to contain and treat the pollution in the canal."

The prime minister’s directive comes in response to a Shafaq News report published last week, which exposed alarming levels of pollution in the canal. The investigation documented a buildup of waste that poses serious health risks to residents in three heavily populated areas of southern Babil.

The report has sparked renewed scrutiny of the apparent inaction by Iraqi authorities in addressing river pollution. Years of neglect have left the Jasmiyah Canal without proper cleaning or maintenance, allowing waste to accumulate unchecked.

Experts attribute the canal's deteriorating water quality to untreated industrial waste, sewage runoff, and dwindling water supplies exacerbated by climate change and upstream control by neighboring countries.

The crisis underscores Iraq's broader environmental challenges, as clean water remains essential for the country’s agriculture and drinking needs. The canal’s pollution highlights the urgent need for sustained intervention to protect public health and safeguard vital water resources.