40 donums for agricultural airport in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: A total of 40 donums has been zoned for the establishment of an agricultural airport, the first of its kind in Karbala province, according to a local source. “The local government in Karbala has zoned 40 donums (1 donum = 2,500 square meters) in al-Husainiya area (20 north of Karbala city) for the establishment of an agricultural airport,” the chairman of the agricultural committee in Karbala’s municipal council, Abbas Nasir al-Hassani, told IraqiNews.com. Hassani did not reveal the cost of the airport. Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. SS (P) 1