A struggle for basic necessities

Hope for solution to water scarcity in Al-Khameesia

BABIL, January 22 – Al-Khameesia, a village in the Al-Hamza Al-Gharbi district, has been grappling with a severe drinking water crisis for over a decade, compelling residents to depend on pricey mobile water tankers. The district administration, however, has recently announced a pledge to solve the issue within the next two months.

Raad Kazem, a local of Al-Khameesia, shared his experiences with 964media: “Our dependence on water tankers for drinking and other household needs is a daily challenge. It costs us 15,000 dinars to fill a thousand-liter home tank. The scarcity of water also forces many families to travel significant distances to fetch river water for washing and bathing, as a means to cut down on expenses. This persistent issue has led to over 60 families relocating away from the village towards the district center.”

Sadeq Al-Kalabi, Director of Al-Hamza Al-Gharbi, told 964media the causes are complex: “Al-Khameesia’s unique challenge lies in its location between two water complexes, which draw from a secondary river now running dry. The solution lies in the completion of a pipeline project, which will directly connect Al-Khameesia’s water complex to the Euphrates River. The project is advancing rapidly and is expected to be completed in the upcoming two months, marking the end of this long-standing water crisis.”

This announcement comes as a beacon of hope for the residents of Al-Khameesia, who have endured years of hardship due to the water shortage.

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