Erbil authorities file complaints against four generator owners over environmental violations

ERBIL – The Erbil Environment Directorate announced Monday that it has filed legal complaints against four private generator owners for failing to comply with environmental regulations, including issues related to excessive noise, smoke emissions, and foul odors.

According to a statement, the violations occurred across several neighborhoods in Erbil. The cases have been referred to the courts for further legal action.

Under current regulations, the Kurdistan Region imposes fines ranging from 300,000 to 1.5 million Iraqi dinars ($209 to $1,048) for environmental violations involving neighborhood generators.

The move follows a series of earlier enforcement actions. In mid-March, the directorate filed cases against four generator owners for similar violations. In February, five others were fined, and in December, lawsuits were initiated against another five operators for failing to meet environmental standards.

Last week, a senior Kurdish official announced that more than 700 private diesel generators had been decommissioned as part of the ongoing rollout of the Kurdistan Region’s 24-hour electricity project, known as Runaki. The effort aims to eliminate the approximately 6,300 remaining private generators still operating across the region.

The Runaki project, launched by the Kurdistan Regional Government, is intended to address chronic power shortages and phase out reliance on private generators.