Baghdad shuts 326 facilities over environmental violations, officials say

BAGHDAD — Baghdad Operations Command, working with the Ministry of Environment, said Thursday it closed 326 facilities for violating environmental and health regulations as authorities stepped up efforts to curb worsening air pollution in the capital.

In a statement, authorities said they shut down 208 metal smelting kilns and 118 factories producing asphalt and bricks. Teams also removed a number of unregulated burn sites and arrested several facility owners, the statement said.

Officials said the measures were aimed at cutting emissions and odors linked to industrial activity that pose risks to public health.

The action comes after Baghdad has faced worsening air quality in recent weeks. On Nov. 26, Baghdad Gov. Atwan al-Atwani chaired an emergency meeting with the Ministry of Environment, the governorate’s environment committee and technical departments to address what officials described as a deepening air-quality crisis. The governorate cited key pollution sources including the Rashid Camp waste dump, the Nahrawan landfill, brick factories and widespread waste burning inside residential areas.

In late November, Iraq’s Green Observatory warned that pollution levels in Baghdad were reaching “dangerous” levels and could spread to nearby governorates, saying the conditions posed health risks, particularly to the respiratory system and eyes.

Baghdad has long struggled with pollution driven by industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, diesel generators and unregulated burning of waste and low-quality fuels, with officials and residents frequently reporting poor air quality across parts of the city.