Baghdad – WAA – Wissam Al-Mulla
The Director of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ihsan Al-Awadi, announced today, Thursday, the launch of a package of service projects to develop the holy city of Kadhimiya under the slogan “Towards a sustainable urban service future for the year of achievements 2024.”
Al-Awadi said in a speech during the launch ceremony of a package of service projects to develop the holy city of Kadhimiya, which was attended by the correspondent of the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “We are honored to represent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, lay the foundation stone and launch work on implementing the rehabilitation and cladding of five residential neighborhoods in the city of Kadhimiya, as well as launching the implementation of the rehabilitation of Al-Muheet Street. This event and the two mentioned projects are only part of a big scene.”
He added that “the Prime Minister launched a campaign to develop the holy city of Kadhimiya after meeting with the people of the holy city and representatives of this region and city from the parliament and listened to its needs and their future opinions,” indicating that “the Prime Minister personally followed up on the stages of work in it continuously, and the Prime Minister’s Office formed a high committee that included the concerned parties, especially the Baghdad Municipality, the Kadhimiya Shrine, and the general managers of all the concerned formations.”
He pointed out that the construction goals were set to help the city receive millions of visitors annually in a manner befitting the shrines of the two infallible Imams, Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad al-Jawad, peace be upon them. He also said that the city should be a gateway and a center for visitors, in addition to being adjacent to the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man.
He explained that “the reconstruction plan is in several short, medium and long-term stages, or let’s say service projects and other strategic projects,” noting that “the service projects included the rehabilitation of Al-Kadhimiya Hospital and the five main streets in the city, including Al-Muheet Street, and launching work on it, in addition to building 50 new schools in the holy Al-Kadhimiya and restoring and building six heritage schools. This decision was taken last Tuesday by the Council of Ministers.”
He added, “There is a building for the Third Karkh Education Directorate, construction of which has begun, with the plan including cladding and rehabilitation of residential areas, as well as work to rehabilitate and develop power stations and create and install secondary stations in the city.”
He pointed out that “the sewage system will be prepared and installed in the tenth month, and the work will be completed, and services will be provided in agricultural areas, in addition to projects to relieve traffic congestion, build bridges in Aden and Sana’a, and complete work on the Al-Ghariat Bridge.”
He added, “Soon, the suspension bridge linking the holy Kadhimiya and Al-A’dhamiya, passing through the military zone, will be launched, and private transport garages will be rehabilitated and multi-storey garages will be established to relieve congestion, in addition to moving the buildings of government institutions that have large requests from citizens.”
He pointed out that “the first phase of the Corniche has been completed and the design of the second phase of the Imams Bridge towards Al-Absali has been completed, with a distance of 4 kilometres, so that it will become the largest Corniche in Iraq, in addition to converting the orchard known as Hala Orchard to be called Al-Jawadain Orchard and expanding it from 11 dunums to 22 dunums to be a model park for honourable families.”
He pointed out that “the headquarters of the handmade carpet company and the wool factory located on the Corniche were transferred and the area was opened to be gardens with an area of 16 acres, distinct and adjacent to the Corniche,” indicating that “the project may be the largest and most important, which is to open the military zone or the Fifth Division area, which will soon begin transferring prisoners from this existing area to other prisons that have been rehabilitated and prepared in other locations, and the area of about 400 acres will be vacated.”
He explained that “the architect Munhal Al-Haboubi, in cooperation with the Baghdad Municipality and other government agencies, the Holy Kadhimiya Shrine, presented an architectural vision to benefit from this distinguished space in a way that is compatible with the characteristics of this city, not far from the shrine of the two Imams,” noting that “consideration was taken into account as to how this area would be adjacent to the Imams, peace be upon them.”
He explained that “an area has been allocated within this region and within the headquarters of the Fifth Division, and an area has been allocated to establish the largest museum documenting the crimes of the defunct regime in the same location as the Fifth Division, where cities for visitors will be built with an area of 200 dunams and will be allocated to the Holy Shrine of Al-Kadhimiya to manage them.”
Al-Awadi added, “The Baghdad Municipality will, within the other 200 acres, establish a medical city and various services that are appropriate for the residents of this region and this holy city, as well as its millions of visitors.”
He stressed that “this area will be connected to the holy shrines by a railway line, as well as to Al-Murad Street, which will also be rehabilitated soon.”
He added, “This is the first package for the holy city of Kadhimiya, and there are other packages that will address other facilities and files in this city. The city’s funds have been allocated to other packages related to rehabilitating streets, parks, and areas within what is called preparation for the upcoming Arab summit, in addition to an additional package that will be added to this holy city from the program of million-person visits projects.”
