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Georgian Government Cut Water Supply for Georgians, So How Can Georgians Complain that the Ossetians Cut the Water Supply?

July 16, 2009

Georgian government is not going to supply Ossetian villages with water

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori

On July 14, residents of the village of Kelktseuli in the Gori district started to gather in front of the district administrative building at 9:30 am. The head of the office worried about the presence of journalists. “Maybe, you will let us to speak with people without cameras,” Kakha Toliashvili asked me. The villagers categorically demanded that we attend the meeting so we were there.

Kelktseuli is the neighboring village of Nikozi village. It is followed by Kvemo Khviti, Pkhvenisi, Shindisi, Dzlevisjvari and the Ossetian village of Muguti. The issue disputed between these villages is irrigation water. The villagers have not irrigated apple trees and tomatoes for the whole summer. The government claims millions of GEL have been invested in the reconstruction of irrigation systems. Besides that, while speaking about the aid to villagers, governmental officials often remind everyone of the wheat that was supplied by USAID for sowing in the fields. Locals are more concerned about apples and tomatoes than wheat because they are more expensive.

The dam of the irrigation system will be opened in September and it will supply the villages with water by channels. Residents of Kelktseuli fear that the dam will supply only the villages that are connected to the so called “Tiriponi channel” and that the villages connected to the Saltvisi channel will remain without water. Davit Khmiadashvili said their fear was groundless and said Kelktseuli will also be supplied with water in autumn.

Ivane Gabroshvili, councilor of the Shindisi Community of seven villages, claims that everything is ok in Kelktseuli. “The channel has been dug; a tractor has worked there and chemicals for poisoning the trees also have been distributed, etc.”

Vano Gabroshvili was close to Irakli Okruashvili, former defense minister of Georgia. His sons were body guards of the minister and Mikheil Kareli, former Shida Kartli regional governor. One of the sons was arrested in November of 2007.

Consequently, the villages under the supervision of Gabroshvili persistently complain about various issues. This winter, members of the anti-crisis council of the parliament came to the Shindisi village because locals demanded the resignation of Gabroshvili and his secretary. However, Lado Vardzelashvili, regional governor dismissed neither Gabroshvili nor his secretary.

Today, residents of the Kelktseuli village also oppose Vano Gabroshvili. Dali Gamgebeli listened to the conversation regarding the activities in the village. She decided to interrupt the conversation and said that village councilor was lying. Dali Gamgebeli said that only several families received chemicals for poisoning the trees and the tractors worked very badly in cutting the channels.

“We collected three GEL in the village and went to Tbilisi to visit the Ministry of Agriculture   to inform them about our problems. They promised to come to our village but instead they visited another village of Nikozi. They saw the dam. Before it starts working we will die of starvation. They say our village and neighboring villages will not be able to use the water from the dam; so, what is the use of this dam,” said Media Gamgebeli.

Initially the village faced the problem of water supply during the government of the late President Zviad Gamsakhurdia when the conflict between Georgian and Ossetian people started. The head of the office at the district administration told me they were resolving the problem of water supply that was urgent during so many years. And so it is natural that people do not believe it.

Residents of Upper Kelktseuli also complain about being insulted because the government pays attention only to Lower Kelktseuli. “If Lower Keltskeuli is supplied with water, it does not mean that Upper Kelktseuli lives well,” complain the residents of the upper part of the village of Kelktseuli.

During the discussion many new problems were mentioned. People said that the second part of Saltvisi channel should not be blocked before the dam is constructed.

“Sometimes Ossetian people release water in that channel. Particularly, when they want to clean the sewerage system in Tskhinvali. Now, Georgians closed this channel on our side and the water flows through the village of Kvemo Khviti. The people from that village do not release the water to our village and we cannot quarrel with them about it. This problem must be resolved without damaging either out village or Khviti,” said residents of Kelktseuli.

Closing the Saltvisi channel left Ossetian village Muguti also without water. So, the government of Georgia cut the water supply to Georgian villages but now proposes to resolve the problems of the Georgian villages but to leave Ossetian villages without water.

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