Historical preservation vs. human needs: Al-Shuhada village water cut sparks outcry

Shafaq News/ "Water is the lifeline," but this fact was not enjoyed by the residents of Al-Shuhada village in the Qalat Sukar district, north of Dhi Qar Governorate in southern Iraq, as they were cut off from water years ago due to the cancellation of the use of the main river that supplied them with water, under the pretext of "historical monuments" under the riverbed.

In fact, this southern village suffers from an ongoing water crisis after stopping the use of a major river based on the directives of the Department of Antiquities, which ordered the water supply to be cut off for about a thousand people under the pretext of preserving historical sites, without providing alternatives or compensation.

Dryness And Migration

Village residents told Shafaq News Agency correspondent, "We have been suffering in this village from a lack of water for more than four years due to the presence of antiquities under the Al-Bazzaz River, or what is known as Abu Amud River, which passes through the village. The Antiquities Division in Al-Rifai District instructed the competent authorities to cancel the river and cut off water from our village, which has a population of approximately one thousand people."

"The river that was cut off from us is more than 100 years old, but the government did not provide us with any alternative or solution, and we appealed to all state officials to no avail," they added.

The residents explained, "Our current situation is very bad, as most of the dozens of artesian wells that were dug earlier have dried up," stressing that "these conditions have prompted many of the village's families to migrate toward the city center areas."

In addition, they pointed out, "We currently depend on the water that reaches us via water tankers or what we buy from shops, or we dig wells that cost the family 100 thousand dinars (86 USD) every 14 days," demanding "an end to their tragic suffering."

No To Vandalizing Monuments

For its part, the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate said that the previous regime was completely ignoring the importance of antiquities in the country, as the canal was dug over the site known as "Abu Amud."

The director of the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate, Shamil Al-Rumaid, told Shafaq News Agency that his department "will not allow archaeological sites to be exposed to damage," stressing that "the river known as Abu Amud was cut off during the time of the previous regime above the archaeological site known as (Abu Amud), as the country's public antiquities were worthless at that time."

In this context, he stressed that his Inspectorate "actually stopped work on the river because of the encroachment on the archaeological site that is located under the river by a kilometer and a half," noting that "the site has not been excavated so far, but previous river cleansing work revealed many pottery vessels and other archaeological artifacts that cannot be touched according to the law except by the competent authorities."

"My Inspectorate proposed changing the course of the river and not canceling it completely, but some of the villagers rejected the proposal, as it passes through their agricultural land, and no one allows their agricultural land to be destroyed," he added.

It is worth noting that the name "Martyrs (Al-Shuhadaa)" was chosen for this village in honor of the sacrifices of its people who courageously participated in confronting ISIS since 2014.