Local Government Forces Businessmen to Donate to Chiauri Forest Rehabilitation Project

Local Government Forces Businessmen to Donate to Chiauri Forest Rehabilitation Project

The Lagodekhi region faces ecological disaster due to the non-stop rains. The flooded waters of the Alazani and Kabali rivers flow into the Chiauri Forest, which is already swamped. Now the waters are running into nearby villages. The farmlands of Heretiskari have been devastated and are completely covered in water. The Tbilisi-Lagodekhi central motorway is also covered in water, hindering traffic. The local inhabitants and specialists worry about malaria spreading extensively in the region.

Under Order #91, issued on February 23rd 2006, 45,000 laris were allotted from the 2006 state budget of Georgia for the rehabilitation of the Chiauri Forest. According to the press service of the Presidential Representative in the Kakheti region, 1 million laris are neeeded to implement rehabilitation works in the forest. The Environmental Minister confirmed this information. The press service of the Presidential Representative also stated that the District Administration took responsibility to oversee the works.

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Center has information that, under orders from the Presidential Representative in the Kakheti region, Petre Tsiskarishvili, the Governor of the Lagodekhi region and Giorgi Gviniashvili, the Deputy Governor, farmers have been summoned and requested to carry out some of the rehabilitation work to protect the forest.

“The Foresters’ Union holds 80 hectares of land on lease, which borders Chiauri Lake in Heretiskari. Deputy Governor Giorgi Gviniashvili summoned us to the Administration and told us that the Chiaru Forest Rehabilitation Project did not get the full state funding required. He also said it was necessary to find some additional funds for the work and asked us to donate some money. I offered to carry out some work, like cleaning 20 meters of river bed. However, they insisted on financial assistance. If we do not give them financial support, then they will cancel our lease”, says Zurab Gamxarashvili, the Director of the ‘Sorakani’ enterprise.

The owner of ‘Maso Lakes’, Gia Bakashvili does not refuse to donate to the project what he was asked for. “Tsiskarishvili asked me at the meeting to implement some of the rehabilitation works with my money. I do not have a way out of it, I have to clean the road to the Kabli bridge and one of the channels”, says Bakashvili.

The Kakheti District Administration and the Administration for the Lagodekhi region both deny pressuring the businessmen. Eka Gogitashvili, a lawyer with the Administration, states that those who rent the land surrounding the Chiauri Forest of their free are willing to carry out rehabilitation works to the value of 38664 laris.

The population who have fallen victim to the disaster threatens to protest. “The representatives of the government only got interested in our problems when journalists appeared in the village to cover the issue. Water runs into our homes. We try to stop it with all our strength. Nobody has assisted us with any equipment. Soon we will be living in a state of total chaos”, say the angered inhabitants of the region.

Gela Mtivlishvili from Kakheti