In the previous two parts, we talked about the demographics of Diyala governorate and its geographical importance to Iraq. We also talked about the fact that Diyala is the real strategic depth of the capital, Baghdad. We also talked about what Diyala has gone through over the past four decades and its role in the wars and conflicts that the country has witnessed, as well as what Diyala suffers from attempts to change.
The demographics of the region, for the benefit of many parties and militias, which made the province one of its most important goals since the first moment of the occupation of the country.
As for our talk today, it will be about the economic importance of this governorate and how it is supposed to constitute a real food basket for Iraq in general and the capital, Baghdad in particular, especially in light of the bulldozing of the agricultural areas surrounding the capital and turning them sometimes into residential areas and at other times into military camps and headquarters.
Unfortunately, the reality in which we live today is completely different. Like many governorates of Iraq, Diyala is witnessing an unprecedented drought crisis this year because of cutting off water from the Iranian side and stopping the launch of water quotas, which bears the full responsibility of the Iraqi government, as it did not use two full decades to develop Plans for a day like this, at a time when researchers have repeatedly warned that Iraq is on the verge of a real drought crisis that threatens the lives of millions. This matter did not find any real action from the government over the past years until we reached this situation today.
As we have said, the cessation of water flow from the Iranian side has reached one hundred percent this year, and none of the water quotas for Iraq has been released, and this is similar to the Turkish side, of course.
For example, diverting all the tributaries feeding the Tigris River into the Iranian interior, which led to zero water flow in the “Darbandikhan Dam”, which is the most important water basin in Diyala, which means that the consequences of this matter will be dire for the province in particular and the country in general.
Of course, the government has proposed many solutions, all of which are prosthetic and do not rise to the level of the event.
As for the Ministry of Agriculture, it announced an agricultural plan estimated at 6 million dunams, which is considered impossible in light of this crisis, which led to the exclusion of Diyala Governorate from the agricultural plan by the Ministry of Water due to the lack of sufficient water reserves.
In short, Diyala Governorate suffers today from the forced displacement of a number of villages through military operations, massive arrest campaigns that affect many innocent people, the systematic leveling of large agricultural areas, a drought crisis that threatens millions and the list goes on.
How long will the politicians in this sick government persist in people’s lives and capabilities? For how long?!
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