Baghdad's municipality on Saturday revealed a plan to rebuild Sadr city according to modern and international standards at a cost of $10 billion.
"The cabinet has unanimously approved a plan set out by Baghdad's municipality to reconstruct Sadr city…, making it a model city that copes with the requirements of modern life…," according to a statement released by the municipality and received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).
"The plan aims at compensating local residents for the shortage of services and congestion, which is the result of overpopulation," the statement noted.
The statement quoted the secretary general of Baghdad's municipality, Sabir al-Isawi, as saying that a higher committee has been set up for this purpose.
The plan includes the establishment of three residential compounds in the city, particularly in the areas of al-Habibya (southern Sadr city), Ur neighborhood (in the north), and Khalf al-Sadda, comprising no less than 30,000 residential units.
Sadr city has an estimated population of nearly 3 million. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdelkarim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shiite leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. Sadr City is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad. It is a main stronghold of Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.
(Voices of Iraq)
