Considerable amounts of
agricultural lands in Kurdistan Region have been recently damaged due to
various reasons and Kurdistan Farmers Union thinks that if cities’ master-plans
were not reviewed and reconsidered, then agricultural requirements of region’s
population for food wouldn’t be able to be provided. Minister of Municipality
says that growing of cities hasn’t had any negative impacts on agricultural
production.
Growth of cities on the basis of master
plans and investment projects are reasons for large areas of agricultural lands
to lose their agricultural properties in Kurdistan Region.
Municipalities’ neglect
Instead of using rocky and unused lands,
municipalities are heading to use deep and fertile agricultural lands.
According to head of Kurdistan Farmers Union ( Nawzad Mahmood Ali), Kalar
Municipality has 800 acres of rocky lands in order to be used in growth of the
city, but it focuses on Part 101 of Old Kalar instead, where tens of farmers
are farming.
The master plans of round-shaped cities are also criticized because a
lot of agricultural lands have been destroyed due to development of these
cities. The Capital Hawler for example was supposed to be developing towards
Koya city because of existence of a large amount of unused lands; besides, there
will have been a better facility for sewer system.
In addition to that, each
municipality is widening city circles as it wants. In Pira Magroon, this
increase includeds 5 KMs which is more than 11 thousand acres of 8 villages’
lands, and 2 KMs in Ranya and Pishdar, and 1 KM in sub-districts.
Master plan’s lack of plan
According to information by KFU, there are
60 villages affected by the master plan within Hawler municipality and 4
thousand acres of lands have been destroyed
only in Bahrka sub-district. Nearly 55 villages have been affected by the master plan within Suleimaniya municipality. And there are the same problems in the sub-districts. For example 13 villages in Baziyan, 12 in Sayd Sadq and 11,841 acres of land in Pira Magroom sub-distric have been affected due to expansion of municipalities.
only in Bahrka sub-district. Nearly 55 villages have been affected by the master plan within Suleimaniya municipality. And there are the same problems in the sub-districts. For example 13 villages in Baziyan, 12 in Sayd Sadq and 11,841 acres of land in Pira Magroom sub-distric have been affected due to expansion of municipalities.
Municipality’s projects
haven’t arrived
The disadvantages are in both sides, in
one hand agricultural lands have lost their agricultural properties, and on the
other hand most of the lands will not be having any service by 10 years and
farmers have been excluded in any helps by the government.
Oil industry
Farmers’ representative mentioned the
importance of oil industry development in Kurdistan, but with reflection of
environment and protecting agricultural lands in the plans. The villages and lands in which oil wells and
refineries were built, farms and lands around are in agricultural,
environmental and human dangers because of smokes.
Not taking the issue seriously
Master plan is the basic map of organizing between land and citizens for
the future, and according to KRG minister of Municipality and Tourism ( Dilshad
Shahab), the growth of each city is on the credit of agricultural lands, and
it’s farmers’ rights to concern about their lands, “but the question is that if
the city is not expanded then where can people go?” he said
denying Hawler to be having rocky lands and defended on Hawler circle-shaped master plan and considered it as a beautiful aspect of Hawler, because it includes facilities of design, providing water and joining streets and roads.
denying Hawler to be having rocky lands and defended on Hawler circle-shaped master plan and considered it as a beautiful aspect of Hawler, because it includes facilities of design, providing water and joining streets and roads.
Shahab reiterates if this master
plan had conducted earlier, there wouldn’t have been any trespasses. “I can certainly say that growth of cities
doesn’t have any negative impact on agricultural production in Kurdistan
Region, because the Region has a large fertile land.” He concluded.
Despite sending their demands to
the parliament, the government and concerned sides, any of Kurdistan Farmers
Union’s demands hasn’t been met yet. The head of the unions thinks that the
issue hasn’t taken into account seriously and if things go so, all districts
and sub-districts will be within cities by coming 20 years.
Sleman Tashan – Hawler Newspaper
Translated by : Shvan Goran
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