Wastewater pipes seen discharging directly into Tigris in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Wastewater pipes were seen discharging directly into the Tigris River in Baghdad’s Charsh al-Ahrar area, according to images recorded on Wednesday. The footage showed heavy wastewater discharge continuing into the river. Observers said more than 10 similar outlets and pipes are located along the Baghdad riverfront, with most of them in areas between Bab al-Muazzam and Karrada. The source material did not say whether the outlets were connected to a single network. A parliamentary investigative committee said on April 29, 2026, that it identified 24 polluted-water outlets and discharge points inside Baghdad. The committee said large amounts of pollutants and wastewater were being released into the Tigris and the Diyala rivers, adding that pollution in the Diyala River had reached the level of an environmental disaster. On April 4, 2026, local authorities also shut down some water facilities in southern Baghdad and the Basma area after polluted-water surges and an oil layer formed in the bed of the Tigris.