Peregraf- Ammar Aziz
A primary school in Duhok city has registered an alarming number of cancer cases among its students and staff. Officials suspect that these illnesses are caused by the nearby generator, which spews exhaust over the school from just four meters away.
"There are about eight cancer patients. One of them is a student and the others are teachers. Although the causes have not been investigated, the generator is very close to us," Ahmad Mohammed, director of Zvrin Primary School, told Peregraf.
"In addition to the smell and smoke, the noise of the generator is very annoying and has caused us a lot of problems,” he added.
Ahmad has contacted the environment and education departments to remove the generator, but his appeals have fallen on deaf ears. It is hardly a unique problem. Dozens of other schools have generators very close to them.
Public electricity is unreliable in the Kurdistan Region, with just a few hours available each day. The gaps are filled bygenerators, which run on low-quality gasoline produced by illegal refineries. They often operate during the day when students are in school.
Dilshad Abdulrahman, the director of environment in Duhok, told Peregraf that exhaust from generators is “the main cause of environmental pollution in Duhok.”
"Generator smoke affects the environment more than any other smoke and pollutes the environment in Duhok in general,” hesaid. "The best solution is to ensure 24-hour electricity and turn off the generators.”
Chakdar Ahmad, a specialist in blood diseases and cancer in Duhok, told Peregraf that there are many causes of cancer, but that inhaling exhaust from burning gasoline is a major risk factor.
“It has a great impact on environmental pollution and has a bad effect on humans,” Ahmad said.
According to health statistics, there were 1,250 cancer cases in Duhok governorate last year. That represents a major increase from previous years. Until 2018, there were between 700 and 800 cases in the governorate each year. By 2021, it exceeded 1,000 cases.
“But we must also recognize that cancer cases have increased all over the world, not just in Duhok and the Kurdistan Region,” Ahmad said.
Duhok governorate has a population of more than 1.4 million people, but does not have a dedicated cancer hospital. AzadHospital has a cancer ward, but it does not provide a full range of treatment. Officials hope to build a new cancer hospital soon.
Meanwhile, the governorate’s generators are busy polluting the environment. According to a 2021 survey by the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office, there were approximately 2,000 generators in Duhok. The same survey found that the generators had a harmful effect on the environment and human health and proposed removing them from residential areas and installingfilters.
Abdulkhaliq Mohammed, a representative of the owners of generators in Duhok, complained that his industry is being singled out.
“Whenever we talk about exhaust and environmental pollution, the generator is mentioned first. We don't talk about car exhaust, only how environmental pollution is caused by generators,” he said.
It is true that are many other polluters in the Kurdistan Region, including factories and illegal refineries. But generators are often found in densely populated cities and, therefore, have a unique impact.
Mohammed said that the owners of the generators, which cost between $7,000 and $8,000 each, have abided by KRG orders to reduce noise pollution. While some operators have installed mufflers to cut down on noise, the more serious problem of the exhaust produced by the generators remains unresolved.
“There is a hope that the generators will disappear and electricity will be 24 hours. We are ready and we like it,although the owners of generators will suffer a lot,” Mohammed said, adding that the KRG should supply them with better quality gasoline in the meantime.
“The gasoline we use now is second-class, we know it is not good in terms of quality, but we have to use it so that the price of an amp is cheap enough for citizens,” he said.
While this may be a way forward, there are cleaner and renewable energies that are available, which the government could also prioritize.
Ahmad Mohammed said that he wants more radical changes so that he can protect his students and colleagues at Zvrin Primary School.
“One of the conditions for a healthy education is a good environment, but ours is a very bad environment,” he said.