Garbage piles up in Dhuluiya as municipal staff shortages hinder waste collection

SALAH AL-DIN — Residents in Dhuluiya are struggling with widespread garbage accumulation as municipal authorities face chronic shortages of sanitation workers and waste collection vehicles, forcing many locals to rely on private services to clear trash from their neighborhoods.

“Dhuluiya in general suffers from the problem of waste piling up near houses and main roads,” said resident Mohammed Hamid. “Trash collection takes 10 to 12 days. We’ve contacted the municipality several times, and their response is always that they don’t have enough workers.”

Ammar Hamid, another resident, said the situation has worsened in more densely populated parts of the town. “Garbage is piling up everywhere due to the lack of government equipment and cleaning staff,” he said. “Many people have started turning to private companies, especially in the Hawija Bahriya area, because the municipality can’t cover all zones. According to our information, the municipality has only 18 workers. The garbage trucks come around every week or 10 days.”

Qusay Ibrahim, head of the Dhuluiya Municipality, confirmed the shortfall in staff and resources. “We have 18 workers and 10 compactor trucks, but the area is large — stretching from the airport intersection in the north to the Khashab Bridge in the south,” he told 964media.

“Sometimes we have to work double shifts, morning and evening, to collect as much waste as possible,” he added. “Each compactor should have at least three workers, but we don’t have enough staff. We know we’re not covering the area well, but through you, we ask the governor of Salah al-Din to allocate a sufficient number of workers to the Dhuluiya Municipality.”