Environment

Kurdistan's Peshmerga help locals weed river in disputed Khanaqin

Khanaqin residents have long called on the federal government to maintain Alwand River but finally decided to take action themselves as the authorities did not "take any serious steps" to address concerns.

Mustafa Shilani 2021/08/08 18:35

The public alongside the Peshmerga forces cleaning Disputed Khanaqin city, Aug. 8, 2021. (Photo: social media)

Kurdistan Kurdistan Iraq Khanaqin Peshmerga

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces participated in a campaign to remove weeds from Alwand River in the disputed Khanaqin district, Diyala province.

The efforts come after the region's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources postponed clearing unwanted plants from the river amid drought fears.

Salam Abdulla, a member of the Cooperative Action Committee in Khanaqin, told the Shafaq News media outlet that Peshmerga members from the second support headquarters stationed near Alwand River were deployed to remove bushes and dense weeds from the stream.

The campaign began Saturday amid wider public participation, with some civilians hiring construction vehicles to aid the efforts.

The official added that many joined the campaign as a form of protest against the shortcomings of relevant authorities to maintain the river. "Demands for cleaning and irrigation were launched long ago," but the federal government did not "take any serious steps."

The public has long complained about how lagging upkeep has affected the general health of the Alwand River, a 150-kilometer stream originating in the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdish region of Iran. It streams towards the disputes areas of Diyala province, where it enters the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris.