Flood Prompts Government to Launch Rehabilitation Projects

President Saakashvili, who convened a government?s session late on October 10, said that the authorities are planning multi-million lari rehabilitation projects for the flood-stricken region of Guria in western Georgia.

Two men died and dozens of houses were flooded as a result of heavy rains in Guria, Samegrelo and the Adjara Autonomous Republic last week. Access to some villages still remains cut off. Many bridges and roads have been washed away.

?None of the families [there] should be left without food because of floods and I want the Agriculture Minister [Mikhail Svimonishvili] to supervise this? Within the next three days we should clean all the roads…to restore access to all the villages which have been cut? Within this month we should restore all the major bridges [destroyed by the flood],? Saakashvili said at the government?s session.

He said that currently there are 55 families left without homes. ?None of these families should remain under an open sky,? he added. 

Saakashvili also said that the flood in Guria has revealed the nature of the poverty which persists in this region.

?We should have short and long-term programs, involving the launch of small and medium enterprises for processing agricultural products? Next year, 10 million Lari [USD 5.5 million] should be allocated, together with the World Bank, for rehabilitating the Kakuti-Chokhatauri highway, which connects Guria with Batumi [Adjara Autonomous Republic],? Saakashvili said.

He said that for infrastructure and economic rehabilitation projects in the Guria region the government plans to allocate a total of USD 22-27 million.

?A long-term development project in this region should be our priority. There is poverty, which makes people there react extremely and sharply to a misfortune like this,? Saakashvili said, apparently referring to criticism which was voiced by some of the local residents of Guria when President Saakashvili was visited this flood-stricken region on October 8.

He also hailed the relief measures undertaken by the Department for Emergency Situations, but added that capacities and resources of the Department should increase.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian)