Former Iraqi lawmaker calls for prime ministerial action on river pollution

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A former head of Iraq's parliament agriculture and water committee, Fırat al-Tamimi, has urged prime ministerial-level intervention to stop large volumes of untreated wastewater and waste being discharged into rivers in Baghdad through pipelines and outlets he described as "black passages." Al-Tamimi said the discharges pose a direct threat to public health and the environment, and that while the Environment Ministry has the legal and administrative tools to act, a decision from the country's top executive authority is required for a lasting solution. Al-Tamimi said images shared by residents and environmental activists have laid bare the scale of the pollution, and he called for river protection to be treated as a national red line. He warned that the contamination increases the risk of environmentally linked diseases and urged greater public awareness alongside better coordination among relevant institutions. Iraqi rivers serve as a vital artery for life, agriculture and the economy, al-Tamimi said, stressing that urgent steps are needed to prevent further environmental damage. Officials have noted that pollution has risen sharply in recent years, driven by industrial and household waste discharged into waterways without adequate treatment, falling water levels and the effects of climate change.