Erbil: 80% completion of major dam project to prevent flooding

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, announced that 80% of the construction work for its largest dam project, designed to mitigate flood risks in the Daratu area and its surroundings, has been completed.

According to a statement from the governor's office, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw, accompanied by local officials, visited the Daratu Dam construction site. The project, which began with a budget of 818 million Iraqi dinars (625,000 USD) allocated from the Erbil governorate's funds, is nearing its completion.

The statement noted that “Khoshnaw, after reviewing the project’s progress and discussing remaining needs with engineers and supervisors, congratulated the project team for their efforts.” Pointing out that, “in response to the severe floods of 2021 that caused significant damage, the ninth Kurdistan Regional Government had approved several projects, including the dam, to address and prevent future flooding issues in Daratu and Hay Zein.”

The dam, with a capacity of 350,000 cubic meters of water, is expected to enhance groundwater levels and irrigation in the region.

In addition to the dam, several other infrastructure projects have been undertaken in the Daratu area. These include the construction of approximately eight kilometers of sewage systems in flood-prone neighborhoods, two additional kilometers of sewage lines connecting old and new Daratu areas, and three kilometers of sewage systems in the Hizan neighborhood, along with other local road and drainage improvements, according to the statement.