Al-Hamra district in Baghdad struggles with noise, congestion, neglect

BAGHDAD — Residents of Church Street in Baghdad’s Al-Hamra neighborhood are plagued by noise from car repair shops in the mornings and by crowds and loud music from youths at night, according to local reports. The area, once predominantly residential, has shifted towards commercial and entertainment use, with little intervention from police or municipal authorities.

The Al-Hamra district in western Baghdad, a key residential and commercial hub, connects the Yarmouk and Hattin areas and borders the commercial Rabie Street. Originally planned as a retail zone, the area has increasingly become industrial with the proliferation of car repair shops.

The neighborhood is facing challenges such as neglected streets, chaotic parking that often extends beyond designated lanes causing congestion, and heavy waste damaging infrastructure, including sewage systems.

Evenings bring additional problems as side streets near liquor stores become hangouts for patrons who loiter and litter, further frustrating residents.

Yassin Ismail, the local mukhtar of Al-Hamra, said vehicle congestion has worsened due to the misuse of street parking by patrons of industrial shops, which changes the area’s character from residential and commercial to industrial. Despite repeated complaints to the Al-Mamoun police station about unidentified vehicles and noise disturbances at night, the issues persist, with youths returning the next day.

“We have repeatedly filed complaints with the Al-Mamoun police station about unidentified vehicles and late-night noise from youths,” Ismail explained. Despite police response, “the problem persists as these youths quickly return the next day,” he added.

Hussein Ali, another resident, told 964media about the daily disruptions: “We suffer greatly from the noise from the repair workshops each morning, and the problem worsens at night with teenagers parking their cars in front of our houses for hours, blasting loud music, and showing no regard for the area’s residential nature.”

Huda Kamel, media manager at the Mansour Municipality, told 964media, “The Al-Hamra area and all areas under Mansour’s jurisdiction receive adequate attention regarding municipal efforts like cleaning and maintaining sewer networks, especially during the rainy season.”

She added, “Our municipal teams face challenges from encroachments that affect crucial service components in the neighborhood, such as sewer openings or water supply networks, caused by commercial and industrial shop owners.”

Kamel insisted that all encroachments in the Washash area have been cleared: “Any further violations in the sector will be addressed after a street inspection, followed by necessary actions against the offending shop owners.”