A drilling rig operates in Basra’s Khor Al-Zubair area as part of efforts to dig new wells to secure water supplies.
Basra drills emergency wells to counter water shortage in Khor Al-Zubair
BASRA — Authorities in Basra have begun drilling ten emergency water wells in Khor Al-Zubair to mitigate the effects of ongoing water shortages, officials said Sunday.
Each well is expected to produce up to 300 cubic meters of water per hour at a depth of 25 meters, providing backup in case water levels in the Bad‘a Canal — the area’s main source — continue to fall.
Basra Provincial Council member Ali Al-Abadi told 964media the decision was ordered by Governor Asaad Al-Eidani. “The recent crisis in Khor Al-Zubair due to reduced water allocation required urgent action,” he said. “The governor directed immediate support for the project through the drilling of ten wells as a temporary solution until the desalination plant is completed.”
Amin Hussein Al-Ghazi, director of the Khor Al-Zubair Water Project, said the wells are being drilled under direct supervision and are part of an emergency strategy, not a long-term replacement. “This step is a precautionary measure to manage emergencies if the Bad‘a Canal level drops further,” he said.
Plans are underway to construct a desalination plant with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters per hour. Al-Ghazi confirmed that 380 dunams of land have been allocated and funding has been secured for the project, which is intended to be the area’s permanent water solution.
Public frustration over water quality and availability has been mounting in Basra. In July, residents in neighborhoods such as Al-Hayania and Tamimiya staged protests demanding access to clean water, blocking roads and setting tires ablaze. The demonstrations escalated along Al-Qaim Street and led to the arrest of civil activist Alaa Al-Bukhateri, whose detention drew widespread concern. Authorities later said they had opened an investigation into allegations of police misconduct during the protests.
