Authorities shut down ‘non-compliant’ factories in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Baghdad Operations Command announced on Monday the closure of several factories in Rusafa for violating environmental, health, and safety regulations.

The command said in a statement, that the closures were part of to reduce environmental pollution from emissions and odors produced during industrial activities.

The operation was conducted in coordination with teams from the Ministry of Environment and municipal departments.

The statement said the targeted facilities included factories, workshops, and metal smelting furnaces operating without official permits and in violation of applicable regulations, posing a risk to public health and safety.

In October last year, Baghdad has experienced an increase in air pollution, marked by a pervasive sulfuric odor that has raised health concerns among residents. The southern district of Dora has been particularly affected, with the smell causing breathing difficulties and leading to nearly 200 hospitalizations.

In late December, Iraqi security forces announced the closure of 10 unlicensed metal and asphalt smelting plants operating in violation of environmental and health regulations in the Ras Al-Abidi and Jurf Al-Naddaf areas of eastern Baghdad.