Nineveh takes action over 17 Tigris pollution outlets
Shafaq News- Nineveh
Environmental authorities in Iraq’s Nineveh province have identified 17 outlets discharging untreated wastewater and other waste directly into the Tigris River, Environment Directorate Director Abdul Moneim Dharar told Shafaq News on Tuesday.
Inspections uncovered violations at several industrial and investment facilities, prompting legal and administrative action, according to Dharar, who warned that authorities would take action against activities harming the river or threatening public health, confirming that inspections would continue under Iraq’s Law No. 27 of 2009 for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment.
Read more: Toxic sewage flows overwhelm Iraq’s decliningwaterways
The findings come amid a broader pollution crisis affecting Iraq’s waterways. Lawmaker Ghaith Shabaa of the Al-Asas Alliance previously estimated that nearly six million cubic meters of wastewater enter the Tigris and Euphrates rivers daily, while declining river flows reduce their ability to dilute contaminants.
In August, the Iraq Green Observatory identified approximately 500 permanent pollution sources along the Tigris, warning of risks to millions of residents and the country’s water and food security. A 2026 World Bank report estimated that more than 70% of urban sewage flows untreated into rivers and waterways, with sewerage coverage below 30% and only 60% of households reporting access to safe, consistently available water.
Read more: Death in the current: Pollution decimates Iraq’sriver ecosystems
Parliament approved recommendations to address river pollution in September, while parliamentary leaders urged the Environment and Water Resources ministries to establish a joint task force. Environment Minister Sarwa Abdulwahid also called for maximum legal penalties against polluters.
Iraq ranked 166th globally and second-lowest among Arab countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index, scoring 26.6.
