Industrial pollution prompts legal action in Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu

Shafaq New- Saladin

Authorities in Tuz Khurmatu district, Iraq's Saladin province, pledged on Tuesday to take legal action against industrial facilities responsible for polluting emissions, according to a local official.

Tuz Khurmatu Mayor Zulfiqar Haidar told Shafaq News on Tuesday that emissions from burning heavy fuel oil, gas flaring, and asphalt plants are among the district's main sources of air pollution. He warned that the pollutants contain sulfur and carbon oxides, contributing to respiratory and skin diseases as well as cancer.

Earlier this month, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council instructed courts to pursue legal action against any entity responsible for environmental pollution, including government institutions, to strengthen enforcement of environmental protection laws.

Read more: The cost of filth: Iraq among the world’s most polluted nations