Halabja
Khurmal hosts cycling race, tree-planting drive to ‘make environmental awareness a cultural norm’
HALABJA — Environmental initiatives took center stage Wednesday in Khurmal, Halabja, with a seven-kilometer cycling race and a tree-planting campaign energizing the community. The race, which began in the village of Girdigo and ended at the Khurmal central market, drew local cyclists committed to promoting sustainable practices.
Binar Mohammed, the race winner, told 964media, “I didn’t participate to win first or second place, but to support this initiative, which is environmentally friendly. We need more activities like this to protect nature.”
Yassin Hussein, who traveled with friends from Sulaymaniyah’s Darbandikhan district and finished third, added, “Three of us came from Darbandikhan to take part. Wherever there is an event like this, we will participate.” He noted that events such as these benefit both physical health and the environment.
In a parallel effort to green the region, nearly 110 pine trees were planted along the Khurmal–Ahmed Awa Road. Environmental activist Hoshmand Fares stressed the long-term vision behind the project. “The goal of these green projects is to make environmental awareness a cultural norm, an identity for Khurmal. Step by step, we want to turn it into an eco-friendly city,” he said. On public engagement, Fares added, “So far, community participation has been excellent. We urge residents to protect these trees, which have been planted in various locations across the town.”
This flurry of green initiatives follows an earlier project launched on Feb. 9—a charitable bicycle-sharing program in Khurmal that offers free bicycles to residents. Dr. Mohammed Khani, the project’s conceiver, explained, “Bicycles in today’s world are a tool for environmental preservation and a means of creating a peaceful atmosphere. This project is a symbol of that effort.”
