In Mosul’s narrow alleys, wheel dumpers drive reconstruction efforts

MOSUL — The Old City of Mosul, with its narrowest alleys in Iraq, requires specialized vehicles for transporting construction materials and clearing war debris. Standard trucks and lorries are too large to navigate these historic pathways, making wheel dumpers indispensable. These vehicles, roughly the size of auto-rickshaws or tuktuks, are equipped with a tilting cargo bed and run on diesel fuel.

New wheel dumpers are priced around 6 million Iraqi dinars ($4,600), while used ones cost between 1 million and 3 million dinars ($770–$2,300). They are imported from countries like Germany, the UK, Italy, China, and Turkey.

In 2018, during the “Dumper Revolution” initiative, volunteers utilized small dump trucks, known locally as “danaber,” to remove approximately 21,000 cubic meters of rubble from Mosul’s Old City. This grassroots effort was instrumental in clearing debris from narrow alleyways inaccessible to larger machinery, facilitating the return of displaced residents. The initiative garnered significant recognition, earning first place in the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Global Foundation’s Voluntary Work Award in the environmental field, presented at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

“Operating a wheel dumper has become a core vocation for transporting construction materials and clearing debris,” said Amer Aziz, a construction materials vendor. “After the battles of liberation, we relied heavily on wheel dumpers to clear debris from destroyed homes because no other vehicle could access these narrow alleyways.”.

Aziz noted that new wheel dumpers cost about 6 million dinars, while used ones range between 1 million and 3 million dinars. The cost of transporting construction materials using a wheel dumper typically ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 dinars ($2.30–$3), while clearing debris can cost up to 8,000 dinars ($6).

Ayoub Thanon, founder of the “Dumper Revolution” initiative, explained the shift in public perception of wheel dumpers: “These machines were once seen as noisy and disruptive in Mosul’s Old City. But today, they are remembered fondly because of their role in clearing war debris and helping us rebuild.”

Thanon added, “At the beginning of our initiative, we started with just three wheel dumpers. Over time, we expanded to 10 vehicles per day. Every driver was a resident of the Old City. In just three months, from January to April 2018, we managed to remove 21,000 cubic meters of debris.”.

For Ahmed Mohammed, a wheel dumper driver, the vehicle has been his primary source of income since 2018. “I participated in the Dumper Revolution. These machines are fuel-efficient, and our wages range from 2,500 to 5,000 dinars ($1.90–$3.80), depending on how far we need to transport materials or debris.”

However, Mohammed highlighted ongoing obstacles: “We urge the municipality to issue us proper licenses. Recently, they shut down the office and garage where we operate, which directly impacts our ability to work.”