Babil governor says illegal housing on farmland will not be demolished

BABIL, Iraq — The governor of Babil province, Ali Turki al-Jamali, said local authorities do not currently plan to remove residential structures built illegally on agricultural land. Speaking to local media, al-Jamali said the provincial administration had already reassured residents in neighborhoods established on farmland that no demolitions would be carried out. Al-Jamali said the province is working with the central government to find legal pathways that would regularize the status of the existing structures. He added that the full fragmentation of agricultural land will also be prevented. The governor's remarks come amid rising unauthorized construction on farmland in parts of Babil. His statement effectively signals a de facto accommodation for residents in affected areas while a legal framework is developed in coordination with Baghdad. Al-Jamali said the subdivision of agricultural land will not be permitted in the new period, while existing construction on farmland will be preserved.