Unique Truso Gorge and Travertine under Threat of Endangerment

Natia Danelishvili

Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Boring well of carbon-acid air in Truso gorge, which was about to renew functioning at the end of August, has not started working yet. Gocha Malania, father of the company Kasara Ltd’s owner, told ICMM that boring well will start working as soon as road is repaired in Truso gorge. Kasara Ltd is the only company holding license on obtaining CO2 from the boring well.

“Road collapsed in Truso and it has not been or could not be repaired yet; so the process of obtaining CO2 was delayed. As soon as road is repaired, the boring well will resume working; it will happen in near future,” Gocha Malania told ICMM.

Kazbegi district governor Davit Gudushauri said the company had not provided relevant documents and permit on obtaining carbon-acid air in Truso gorge to the district administration yet.

“If they wish to get carbon-acid they should hold corresponding documents and permit and provide them to the district administration. Nobody has ever introduced those documents to us,” Davit Gudushauri told ICMM.

Ecologists claim that if obtaining of carbon-acid air is renewed in the mineral water deposit of Truso gorge, unique recreation gorge and travertine will be under threat of endangerment. 

Kasara Ltd has been holding the license to obtain CO2 from Truso mineral water deposit since 2005. Company owners are Akaki Malania, son of Gocha Malania –former majoritarian candidate of the National Movement in Kazbegi district and Ltd Crossways which belongs to Teimuraz Ugulava, owner of the Hotel Holiday Inn (Tbilisi).

Kasara obtained 25-year license on obtaining CO2 in Truso gorge on October 27, 2005. The company was to place the air in special tank as a fizzy liquid and to sell it out. On August 1, 2008 the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia annulled their license due to environmentalists’ protest who claimed that famous Truso travertine and white, orange and pinkish sediments created by mineral water, which always attracted a lot of tourists to the area, became black because of obtaining the carbon-acid. Kasara appealed the annulled license at the court; the latter satisfied their lawsuit and annulled resolution of the Ministry of Economic Development.