Farmers Will Hold Protest Demonstration and Demand Irrigation Water

Farmers from the village of Kardenakhi in Gurjaani district are planning to hold a protest demonstration in front of the building of the Gurjaani Municipality Board.

The farmers stated that they have been demanding water to be released into the  Alazani irrigation channel for two weeks now. They have applied to the local authority and the Ministry of Agriculture, but nobody is willing to assist them so far.

“Since there is no water in the channel we cannot move seedlings of cucumber from the greenhouses to the gardens. If they do not release water in the irrigation system immediately, the seedlings will be wasted and we will remain without harvest and income,” complained the farmers.
Several days ago, Aleksandre Imerlishvili, head of the Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture reported to the Kakheti News Center that the water would not be released in the channel until April 1. Imerlishvili said this decision has not been revised yet.

The farmers claim that unless seedlings are moved to the gardens before April they will be wasted because it is already warm enough outside.

Giorgi Sibashvili, deputy Kakheti regional governor, stated his administration is working on the issue and the water will be released in the channel as soon as possible.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti