Erbil Builds 35 Kilometers Of Drainage On Two Major Projects After Flood

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Several large drainage projects are under way in Erbil, and two of them alone will build 35,000 meters of pipe drainage and 6,500 meters of box drainage, the Erbil governorate said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the work is part of ongoing plans to prevent flooding and the build-up of excess water, and that carrying out the two projects will significantly reduce the risk of flooding and pooled water in those areas.

The statement said the Kurdistan Regional Government is funding both projects from the budget of the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism, and the Erbil Drainage Directorate is supervising them. The first includes 17,000 meters of pipe drainage and 2,000 meters of box drainage as part of the development of the Erbil-Qushtapa road. The second includes more than 17,000 meters of pipe drainage and 4,500 meters of box drainage on the 60 Meter Road, which runs between the 120 Meter and 150 Meter Roads in Erbil.

The announcement comes three days after Saturday night’s flash flood, which killed a 5-year-old boy and a 25-year-old volunteer, and flooded homes, markets and roads including the 120 Meter and 150 Meter Roads, with the governor estimating nearly 80 millimeters of rain against a forecast of about 30 millimeters.

Governor Omed Xoshnaw ordered a committee to investigate the causes and teams to record residents’ losses, and he asked the irrigation directorate to clear and reorganize canals, bridges and culverts.

The 60 Meter Road is a $27.7 million project announced in August to connect the 120 Meter and 150 Meter Roads, and the Erbil mayor has said it is expected to be finished around November, with a box culvert system to reduce water accumulation, according to Kurdistan 24. Xoshnaw said last month that projects over the past four years had significantly reduced flood risks in the city, including dams, ponds, rebuilt natural channels and dozens of box and pipe drainage projects.