A generator in Zahko town frustrates students. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
ZAKHO, Kurdistan Region - A neighborhood power generator in the heart of Duhok province’s Zakho town has frustrated over a thousand students with its noise and smoke.
The students, from two schools and a kindergarten in Zakho’s Husayniya neighborhood, have to endure the loud noise and toxic fumes of the generator when the public power grid is off. Closing windows of classrooms does not really help.
During class, the noise from the generator drowns out the teacher's voice.
“Actually, many [students] suffer from health issues, such as difficulty breathing, and the smell is overwhelming. As you know its sound is too loud. When the teacher enters the classroom, the noise is too loud. Even when the windows are closed, the noise is still heard. During classes, students focus on the noise of the generator rather than the lessons,” Zilan Ali, one of the students of the two schools, told Rudaw earlier this week.
The smoke emerging from the generator makes life more difficult for students with health issues.
Nour Abdullah is a ninth grade student. When at school, she always has her face mask on. She has been diagnosed with asthma, and the generator's toxic fumes make it more difficult for her to breathe.
When the public electricity is on, it gives the students a moment of relief.
Rudaw reached out to relevant authorities, but they declined to comment.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched a project to eliminate the use of generators by providing 24-hour electricity from the national grid by 2026.
The students, from two schools and a kindergarten in Zakho’s Husayniya neighborhood, have to endure the loud noise and toxic fumes of the generator when the public power grid is off. Closing windows of classrooms does not really help.
During class, the noise from the generator drowns out the teacher's voice.
“Actually, many [students] suffer from health issues, such as difficulty breathing, and the smell is overwhelming. As you know its sound is too loud. When the teacher enters the classroom, the noise is too loud. Even when the windows are closed, the noise is still heard. During classes, students focus on the noise of the generator rather than the lessons,” Zilan Ali, one of the students of the two schools, told Rudaw earlier this week.
The smoke emerging from the generator makes life more difficult for students with health issues.
Nour Abdullah is a ninth grade student. When at school, she always has her face mask on. She has been diagnosed with asthma, and the generator's toxic fumes make it more difficult for her to breathe.
When the public electricity is on, it gives the students a moment of relief.
Rudaw reached out to relevant authorities, but they declined to comment.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched a project to eliminate the use of generators by providing 24-hour electricity from the national grid by 2026.
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