al-Shorja Market in Baghdad. Source: al-Sharq al-Awsat

The mayor of Baghdad announced that the 2008 Municipality budget, which amounted to more than $1 billion, was allocated for the completion of several service projects in the water and sanitation sector and public services.

Among the projects scheduled for completion this year are 6 large water projects, 6 sewage projects, 16 intersections, bridges and tunnels, highways construction, large parks, renovation of the water and sewage systems and the giant al-Rusafa water project, which is the world’s second largest project at a capacity of 2.25 million cubic meters (about 79.45 million cubic feet), and which will address Baghdad’s water scarcity problem until 2030, the mayor added. (1 cubic meter = 35.3146 cubic feet)

The Municipality is keen to fight corruption, the mayor said, pointing out that 36 companies were put on the blacklist due to their proven involvement in financial corruption.

Baghdad is the largest water environmental polluter of the Tigris River because more than half of the sewage is dumped into the river, the mayor noted.

Radio Sawa, USA, January 23, 2008