Two services projects in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: The Basra reconstruction unit started on Tuesday implementing two projects to set up a heavy water plant and paving al-Radini street in al-Hakimiya region, in addition to preparing and extending a pipelines network in central Basra, an official from the unit said. “The first project envisages implementing rainwater sewage and paving al-Radini street in al-Hakimiya region,” Ziyad Ali Fadel told IraqiNews.com. “The work will continue for seven months and is being implemented for the benefit of the Basra municipality directorate within projects to develop provinces 2008,” he explained, “Works started also today to prepare and extend pipelines in the street between al-Fayhaa hospital to al-Muwafaqiya intersection,” he added. “The project is being implemented in the interest of the Basra water directorate within projects to develop provinces 2008,.” Fadel highlighted. Basra, 590 km (340 miles) south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an estimated metropolitan population of 2,300,000 in 2008. Basra, a Shiite province with 20% of the population are Sunnis, is the cradle of the first civilization of Sumer. It has the seven main Iraqi ports. The first built in Islam 14 A.H. (After Hegira), the city played an important role in early Islamic history. The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources and many oil wells. The city’s oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels per day (bpd). The only Iraqi outlet to the sea, Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, pearl millet, wheat and dates as well as livestock. A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname “The Venice of the Middle East” at least at high tide. The only Iraqi outlet to the sea, Basra has the commercial ports of Iraq. SH (S) 1