Batnaya is a town located in the Tilkeif District on the Nineveh Plain of Nineveh Governorate, 14 kilometres from Mosul city and 3 kilometres from Tilkeif. The population grew from 900 individuals in 1967 to 3,331 in 1997. Most of its residents are Chaldean Catholic Christians who speak the Syriac language. The forced displacement of Christian groups from southern and central parts of Iraq has also affected the Batnaya population. The community was once again involved in 2014 when ISIS occupied Batnaya. The entire people of the town were displaced to different parts of Iraq and fled the country. Since the liberation of Iraq from ISIS, around 125 families have returned to Batnaya.
Anticipating more returnees, the Directorate of Sewerage of Tilkeif District requested MASAR to repair and upgrade the ISIS-destroyed Batnaya sewer system. During rainfall, the sewerage system overflows and covers roads with water. The residents reported that to ensure the security of children & livestock, they must hire a water truck to get rid of the retained water after each rain.
In preparation, several site visits were conducted to assess the damage and repair needed. This was followed by collecting sewerage data (e.g., water-consumption, topography, rainfall-runoff on paved and unpaved surfaces, etc.). Having these in place and analysed, the Directorate of Sewage was assisted in constructing a 200-metre “reinforced box” sewerage system, including maintenance holes and inlets. In addition to the above, access roads with a Batnaya checkpoint were constructed. Also, the relocation of the main water supply pipe was provided and road access over the sewer system was constructed.
As a result, the village’s stormwater and wastewater flow safely through this sewer system to the natural valley without any restrictions or barriers. This constructed sewer can absorb future Batnaya returnees.