Authorities began torching the trenches after the United States and Britain launched their military campaign on March 20 in a bid to deflect allied warplanes from their targets.

The number of burning trenches has since multiplied, sending dozens of plumes of smoke in the sky in and around the city.

The trenches, refilled every day by tanker trucks, have been dug at the edge of highways and near official buildings and military installations in Baghdad and outlying areas.

There is no indication that the strategy has been successful, but it has certainly had the effect of compounding the unhealthy surroundings in a city already suffering from a high level of pollution.

The stench of kerosene fills the air, and with the temperature rapidly rising, the city has become a muggy place.

SPACE.WIRE