Legislation against Laundry

New Tendency in Fashion – Dressed in Dripping Clothes

The amendments became popular after the Tbilisi Supervision Service started to distribute the warrants to the population. More precisely, under the Article 150   section III, physical and legal entities cannot install a ventilation system, laundry drier, bars or some other constructions without permission. If the law is not followed, the violator will be fined 500GEL, and if repeated the fine will increase to 1, 500GEL.

Davit Avaliani, the chief of the Supervision City Service, said during his conversation with the Human Rights Center that the amendments focus on maintaining the face of the city. He advised the residents to invest in driers to resolve the problem.

Davit Avaliani: “Every building has its own project. None of those projects have bars, driers or other kinds of constructions because they cannot be installed within the buildings. The parliament introduced the amendments to the law and consequently we sent warrants to the families to warn them to resolve the problem within a month until February. We care about the faces of the buildings in order to maintain the beautiful view of the city.”

Journalist:What do you offer the population? Where will they hang their laundry?

D.A.  They have a yard where they can hang their laundry.

Journalist:What will those people do who does  not have a window facing the yard?

D.A. In this case, they can buy driers that they can put on their balconies. It must not be visible.

Journalist:Do you think that the people will not have any problems?

D.A. Only the residents of the “Khrushchovki” buildings (those which were built when Khrushchov was the head of the Soviet Union, which have low ceiling and have narrow balconies) will have problems, though these people can use their balconies facing the yard. Georgian people can still assist each other and they will take turns in using the yards to dry their laundry.  Although we have estimated 500 and 1500GEL as a fine but we do not aim at earning the money. We would rather prefer to resolve the problem without the fine. The crackdown on exposed laundry will start in February.”

The Tbilisi population claims that it will be impossible to remove the driers from their balconies. In this case they will have to dry their laundry in the rooms. Many will not obey the law.

Tamar Giorgadze is a Tbilisi resident. She said “My flat faces the main street but I do not know if I am fortunate or misfortunate. I do not like to see the linen or laundry hanging in the streets but what shall we do, what do they offer us to do? I wonder whether the man who prepared the amendments is an educated person. It is obvious that his/her family has the laundry washed up and does not know of the problem. What can we simple people do? I personally have neither window not balcony facing the yard. I live in one room flat and I wonder what will our government advise me to do with my laundry in that one room. Let them give us special washing machines that can dry the laundry and I will certainly obey the law. I do not exclude the possibility that they have made the decision to encourage their businesses. They might want to sell the driers and special washing machines too.”

Officials from the Tbilisi City Hall categorically exclude the business interests regarding the amendments. The only aim the amendments have is to maintain the face of the city.

It is already February and according to Georgian proverb, roots of the trees start absorbing the water. We would not have any problems if the water was absorbed by the trees… Now we have to worry about our wet clothes we will have to wear starting in the spring…Our only choice now is to show the new tendencies in world fashion by wearing damp clothes. “Spring-Summer 2007-Dripping Clothes…” and besides that we will get cool.

Eka Gulua