“In Kirkuk, there are 1,200 tons of garbage and trash. One thousand tons are collected and 200 of it remains,” Kirkuk Mayor Ahmad Omar told Rudaw on Friday.
Omar explained that the problem has persisted for years due to inadequate funding. He said the matter had been raised with the governor, but “sufficient funds were not allocated.”
Starting Saturday, the mayor said they would ramp up efforts to clean the city.
Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha met with officials and two contracted companies, which combined have 560 workers. The companies have been given two weeks to clear the waste and clean the city, with the warning that they will lose their contracts if they fail to complete the job.
There have been plans to establish a recycling factory in the Kirkuk, but they have never been implemented.
“We need the support and assistance of the governorate and its offices… Ultimately, the main issue is the lack of necessary funds,” Omar said.
Kirkuk’s accumulation of waste and improper disposal have posed health and environmental risks, drawing widespread concern. Waste management is a problem across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Hemin Baban Rahim contributed to this article.
