Iraq's former Minister of Water Resources Muhsin al-Shammari raised the alarm on predicted heavy rain in April giving rise to floods and inflicting serious damage.
Shemmari’s caveat comes only a day after the government reassured citizens that flashfloods will not submerge Baghdad, the Iraqi capital with a bulging population of 10 million.
“Key reasons for present dangers, despite all precautionary measures taken by the authorities, whether by the Ministry of Water Resources or local administrations in provinces, are: a structural crisis weakening the political system as a whole, and this year seeing a wave of extreme precipitation and floods as a result of the climate change experienced both regionally and worldwide,” Shemmari told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The incumbent Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Jamal al-Adli, alternatively, had downplayed the risk of floods submerging Baghdad and calmed rising fears among locals, especially after reports warning that the Samarra Dam could soon buckle under the pressure of overflowing reserves.
“Samarra Dam is now nearing full capacity, but there is still a vacuum of about a meter or more,” Adli said.
“This is not a risk, and we expect to see more inflow over the coming days,” he added.
He explained that “excesses at the dam are transferred to Lake Thar Thar,” confirming the removal of about 11 to 12 billion cubic meters so far.
It is worth noting that the Samarra dam is located on the Tigris River close to the south Salah al-Din province city of Samarra, situated north of the capital Baghdad. Built in 1955, it is connected to west Thar Thar Lake.
Apart from Baghdad, Iraqi authorities had declared a state of emergency in five high-risk provinces.
Interior Ministry Undersecretary Aqil al-Khazali said that provinces threatened by floods are: Saladin, Kirkuk, Diyala, Wasit and Maysan.
Racing against rising water levels, authorities have managed to successfully evacuate villages located on Tigris River banks in Salahuddin province.
