ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A total of 74 illegal refineries have been shut in Erbil and Duhok provinces as part of a major crackdown the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched on air pollution since last month. 

The KRG issued a set of measures on January 12 to put an end to environmental pollution in the Erbil and Duhok provinces, including closing down illegal refineries that pollute the air, ending gas flaring, and punishing oil stations for selling low-quality gasoline, among several other similar decisions. 

Of 138 oil refineries across Erbil, “until now, 59 refineries" have been shut down, Abdulrahman Sidiq, head of the Kurdistan Board of Environment announced on Sunday.

Sidiq added that 15 illegal refineries in Duhok have also been closed down.

“The process will continue," the oficial added. 

Sidiq added that the plan is to “close down all the illegal refineries and leave just three refineries open on the condition that they will have to comply with standard environmental regulations.” 

Erbil, which has one of the highest levels of air pollution across Iraq, is described as “unhealthy” by the Swiss IQAir air quality monitoring service. 

The KRG has long been trying to curb air pollution, but the crisis has yet to be eliminated once and for all. 

Illegal refineries have become a major source of nuisance to locals in Erbil, polluting the air and contaminating the water.

The Ministry of the Interior has been tasked with following up on the preventive measures against environmental pollution.