Iraq– The soaring temperatures in Iraq are making things already difficult even more excruciating for the gentry. The southern city of Basra seems to have become the epicenter of unpleasantness and revolt amongst the commoners, who have resorted to burning tyres to block roads and protest the rising temperatures.
Power cuts, water shortage and economic hardships are just a few of things that are troubling people at the moment. The blackout was caused by the failure of a power line and a fire at a power plant, which affected southern provinces and the oil-rich city of Basra. The youth of the country is feeling cheated and therefore continue to take things in their hands to protest the government’s callousness and inaction.
It is only after widespread protests that electricity could be restored in some parts of the country, especially in and around the port city. Basra was not the only governorate to be affected, but it has the highest concentration of residents and some of the worst access to services in the south of the country.
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In Najaf, the local authorities said on Monday that electricity shortages had caused problems pumping water for domestic supply, a long-term issue in many Iraqi cities where water and sewage treatment systems rely on power from the national grid.
The government had anticipated and warned the general public of power cuts and rising demand as temperatures continue to rise. Amidst the situation of a blackout that happened over the weekend, protesters tried to storm one of Basra’s largest power plants after the blackout and similar protests were reported near power stations in nearby Maysan province.
Old equipment has not been able to keep pace with the escalating demand and continuous rise in temperatures in Iraq. For years, Basra has been the site of violent protests.
In late 2019, more than 500 people were killed during months of anti-government demonstrations that erupted under former prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, affecting Baghdad and southern towns including Basra.
The previous year, protests erupted in Basra after 100,000 people fell ill after heavily polluted saline water was distributed for domestic use.
