A view of the illegally excavated well in Qurago village, Ranya. (Photo: The Raparin Forestry and Environment Police)
Sulaymaniyah
Police arrest three for illegal well digging in Qurago village
RAPARIN – Police in the Ranya district’s Raparin Administration arrested three individuals in Qurago village on Sunday for illegally digging wells on public land, authorities said.
Shorsh Kaka, head of the Raparin Forestry and Environment Police, told 964media the suspects were operating on land without official ownership or permits. Officers seized the equipment used in the illegal operation.
Local regulations prohibit unauthorized well digging because it can drain groundwater reserves, damage ecosystems and disrupt agriculture.
In the past two weeks, authorities arrested three more individuals for similar offenses in the Raparin area’s Pshdar’s Zharawa subdistrict, confiscating their equipment as well.
Legal measures against illegal well digging have intensified. Penalties range from fines of 1 million to 7 million IQD ($667 to $4,667) to imprisonment for three months to one year, depending on the severity of the violation. Confiscated equipment becomes government property.
Two weeks ago, police in the Penjwen district of Sulaymaniyah arrested four people for illegal well drilling.
