Roj Bash Kurdistan

Erbil residents face
water shortages

A water crisis has materialized in Erbil with almost all of the city’s water sources being dependent on public electricity, which has seen significant decreases in recent days

“The issue is related to a shortage of electricity, especially for those in neighborhoods which are located outside the 120m circle road, as their electricity has been disrupted,” Ari Ahmed, head of Erbil’s water directorate, told Rudaw on Wednesday.

Only 90 of the 1,160 wells in Erbil have their own generator, while all of the others depend on public electricity, Ahmed said.

Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) electricity ministry said Sunday that, “the production of electricity has decreased from 3,200 megawatts to 2,500 megawatts due to the financial crisis, a lack of fuel, reforms in some gas stations in Erbil and Chamchamal, and the closure of Khabat power station due to the return of its company staff to Korea due to [the spread of] coronavirus.”

This has almost halved the number of hours public electricity is available. The ministry had previously produced enough power for 22 hours of electricity per day, but as of late this has been reduced to about 12 hours per day.

“Today, we were told that the water would come by 4 am. We waited until then but did not receive any water. I just bought a tank of water. I got a haircut last night, but have not been able to wash it due to the lack of water,” Darawan Khatab, a resident of Erbil, told Rudaw on Wednesday.

Ambar Mawloudm, an elderly resident of the city, says, “we do not have enough water to drink here, so my daughters [who live in other neighborhoods] have suggested we temporarily move there.”

“We have not received a drop of water for the last four days … How can we live without water and electricity?” said Soran Asi from the neighborhood Farmanbaran, where he claims a water shortage occurs almost every year.

A tank of water costs between $10-15, depending on its size.

A Ministry of Electricity proposal to privatize the Kurdistan Region’s fragile electricity sector was approved last week, according to ministry officials.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have consistently suffered from chronic electricity shortages and dilapidated infrastructure. The failure of successive Iraqi and Kurdish governments to alleviate the chronic shortages since the 2003 war has been a near constant source of public anger.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/200520203

Erbil neighborhoods have water shortage

Residents of some neighborhoods in the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil are decrying severe water shortages that have lasted for over a month, as the dry summer heat intensifies

Residents of eight neighborhoods – Qatawi, Adala, Roshanbiri, Farmanbaran, Qoritan, Haasarok 5, Zhin, and Berkoti Nwe – have seen their water supply dwindle due to what local officials have blamed on seasonal inadequate electricity supply and dried-up local wells.

"We're supposed to receive water every other night...I don't know what to do. Am I supposed to stand guard and wait for the water to come, or go to work early in the morning?" asked Qatawi resident Ziryan Rafaat.

In parts of Adala, residents are forced to buy water in tankers costing between $10 and $15, depending on their size.

"Yesterday, I filled two tankers for 10,000 dinars," Jalal Ismael said. "I'm a taxi driver making 5,000, 7,000 or 10,000 a day. Out of this money, how much should I pay for petrol and how much should I give to my family?"

"I swear, we haven't taken showers in a week. We're dying, I swear. I've piled up a load of equipment to wash and there's no water," resident Amina Hassan said.

A resident of Adala neighborhood expressed worry about the cleanliness of the water they are compelled to buy.

"We're afraid the water we buy is contaminated. It might be unhealthy," said Bakhtiyar Tahsin, a physician.

To resolve the issue, Erbil provincial authorities have decided to allocate 150,000,000 dinars (approximately $126,000) to the drilling of five new wells and the redrilling of 18 more that have dried up, according to Ari Ahmed, head of Erbil's water department.

"We're working to redrill dried-up wells, and those that have nearly dried up," Ahmed said.

The vast majority of Erbil's wells are dependent on the intermittent supply of public electricity to function. Only 90 of Erbil's 1,160 wells have their own private generator – a number Ahmed's department is looking to increase.

"This might help to resolve the issue, providing wells with maximum electricity time," he said.

The Kurdistan Region's electricity production decreased from 3,200 megawatts at its peak to 2,500 megawatts in mid-May, "due to the financial crisis, a lack of fuel, reforms in some gas stations in Erbil and Chamchamal, and the closure of Khabat power station due to the return of its company staff to Korea due to [the spread of] coronavirus," according to the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) electricity ministry.

A proposal by the ministry to privatize the Kurdistan Region's fragile electricity sector was approved in early May.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have consistently suffered from chronic electricity shortages and dilapidated infrastructure. The failure of successive Iraqi and Kurdish governments to alleviate the shortages since the 2003 war has been a near constant source of public anger.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/lifestyle/06072020