Diyala council dismisses sewage director after flooding exposes major failures

DIYALA — The Diyala Provincial Council voted Tuesday to dismiss the director of the sewage department after severe flooding during the governorate’s first rainfall of the season inundated streets and residential neighborhoods and exposed major weaknesses in local infrastructure.

The decision was made during the council’s regular session, chaired by Council President Omar Al-Karawi with a quorum of 13 members. Council members said the flooding, which followed heavy rains on Sunday, revealed critical failures in the governorate’s drainage and sewage networks and raised questions about maintenance and emergency readiness.

Rainfall persisted across Diyala and several other governorates on Sunday as a low-pressure system from the Mediterranean brought cloudy skies and cooler temperatures after five consecutive dry seasons.

During the session, members reviewed service conditions across municipalities and examined the sewage department’s response to the flooding. Directors from several service agencies attended the discussions.

Council members voted by majority to remove the sewage director, citing what they described as an inadequate response to the flooding emergency.

The council also turned to longstanding problems in the education sector. Members said schools across Diyala continue to face overcrowded classrooms and widespread use of double and triple shifts. Several school buildings were also damaged by flooding, compounding service challenges in the governorate’s education system.