Families without Water-Supply Do Not Give Old Pipes Away

Residents of Zemo Tkhilnari village in Khelvachauri district opposed the administration of the community because of functionless water-system pipes.

Last year, the water-flow in those pipes was stopped. Several days ago, according to the instructions of the local authority, they started to remove the old pipes from the village but locals protested and did not allow workers to take the pipes away. They are not going to give the pipes away until the government supplies the village with new ones.

“Villagers expected they were installing new pipes to supply us with water. But instead, they cut the pipes and are going to take them away. So we do not allow them to do it! The workers wanted to take them away by force but we made them to unload them from the trucks. Though, they threatened us they would take them away by all means,” said a local inhabitant.

The authoritative representative of the community said construction of the main water system has already started and they wanted to fence the cemetery with the old pipes.

“People are wrong alleging that local authority intends to misappropriate the pipes. All those pipes will be used for the village cemetery. Under the Village Reinforcement Program, new pipes will be installed in Zemo Tkhilnari and every family will receive water.”

At the moment, local inhabitants fetch drinking water from the spring. Villagers guard the pipes day and night.

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara