Mosul Dam crumbling 500,000 at risk if dam breaks

[Anthea]

BBC News

Iraq's Mosul Dam at risk of bursting as erosion takes its toll

Othman Mahmoud al-Barazinj is a farmer who has been living in the shadow of Iraq's largest dam ever since the colossal facility was established in the 1980s.

Now in his 60s, Othman and fellow villagers in the town of Wana, 22 miles (35km) north-east of Mosul, still depend on the dam as a vital source of water and irrigation for his crops.

"Life is water," said Othman, who is proud of his Kurdish roots, adding that his ancestors have lived in Wana for the last 800 years.

Sat on an earth mound on the edge of his field, and puffing on a cigarette, he said his family had been uprooted from the town just once, when militants from the so-called Islamic State (IS) captured Mosul Dam and Wana in August 2014.

IS extremists were forced to retreat from the dam after 11 days, and from a number of surrounding villages, following US-led air strikes and a ground offensive by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Dressed in traditional Kurdish clothes and speaking in broken Arabic, Othman said: "We can't imagine what life would be like if we had to leave our houses again this time under the threat of the potential collapse of the dam."

Link to Full Article - Video - Photos:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35351888