A view of Soran Autonomous Administration's city center. Photo: the official website of the Kurdistan Governmental Region
Building on public land
Soran agriculture directorate battles land encroachment
SORAN – The Soran Agriculture Directorate is tackling widespread encroachments on public and agricultural land, sparking a concerted effort to reclaim these areas.
Unauthorized construction, including dwellings and villas, have emerged on property owned by the Ministry of Finance, alongside improper agricultural use by individuals.
Kamran Mamand, Soran’s General Director of Agriculture, disclosed to 964media the challenge of quantifying the full extent of these infringements, acknowledging their significant number.
The directorate is actively compiling data to understand the scope of the issue.
“Occupants have yet to legalize their claims on these encroached lands,” Mamand pointed out. There exists a bureaucratic process for legalizing such dwellings in certain instances.
A committee is now methodically gathering information to determine the next steps for addressing the various types of land encroachments.
Mamand revealed the government’s plans to utilize these lands for residential and investment projects, noting that nearly two thousand plots have been developed without compensating the state.
He also highlighted the pressing need to update village boundaries within Soran, explaining, “With the region’s population growth and expansion, it’s essential to redefine village limits to reflect current realities.”