Combating natural disasters
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, July 1
Ways of reducing the effects of natural disasters in the west and northeast regions of Georgia were discussed at a governmental meeting held on June 30 in Tbilisi.
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili requested information about the recent landslides and heavy rain and floods in the regions and tasked the Cabinet with fully preventing the consequences of natural disasters.
Nodar Javakhishvili, Georgia’s Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure informed the PM about the heavy downpour and flood in the mountainous Adjara region in the west.
According to Javakhishvili, the Keda and Shuakhevi regions suffered due to the intensive rain, which destroyed seven bridges and damaged two others. It also damaged road infrastructure and cut off four villages from the rest of the country.
“Rehabilitation works have already started. The Ajara region performs works independently - we are only providing engineering experts,” stated Javakhishvili.
Kvirikashvili said that the Ministry of Finance would allocate additional resources to recover from the disaster as soon as possible.
"It is good news that we do not have human casualties - this is the most important thing. We have to engage in every possible direction - communications, as well as the provision of food or water,” he noted.
The Minister of Infrastructure also provided information to the members of the cabinet on the works performed in the Devdoraki gorge, where a landslide last week washed away the main road and caused works to be suspended at the Georgia-Russia border checkpoint.
According to Javakhishvili, if the weather is good the route will be reopened in two weeks.
The Prime Minister noted that alternative transportation means are being used to transport fruit to Armenia.
"The Ministry of Economy of Georgia closely cooperates with the Transportation Ministry of Armenia and alternative solutions have been found. The fruits will be shipped by ferry, though an alternative engineering mechanism shall also be set up," Prime Minister pointed out.
