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Police Building In Place of Thievishly Cut Pine-Trees

February 14, 2012

Natia Rokva

At the end of Moscow Avenue in Tbilisi tens of pine-trees planted 50 years ago have been cut. Police building is being built in this place. Since the public protested destruction of perennial plants, the pine-trees were cut at night thievishly and the foundation works were started right away.

Internet magazine Netgazeti published the photos of cut pine-trees and the work of excavators in the place. I tried to take more photos from the “construction field.”

Tbilisi City Hall is not giving public information on the construction works.

Merab Chikovani, lawyer of environmental NGO Safe Space explained with Netgazeti that the construction of police building is illegal since by decision of City Council on March 27th of 2009 the territories were granted with the status of recreational zone and it is inadmissible to conduct constructions in such zones. So in order to start the construction works the territory must have changed the recreational status.

Lately tens of police buildings have been built in Georgia. Only in Tbilisi there are 20 new buildings. There is no official information as to how much it costs to build one building. A while ago police building was built in the square near the Tsereteli Metro and tens of cypresses were cut for this reason. No tree was planted instead. There is also a territory fenced in Kikvidze garden for new police building. This garden is one of the oldest parks in Tbilisi. According to the construction project, the trees must be cut here as well and the garden’s territory shortened.

Service of Ecology of Greenery confirmed that the police building is being built in the territory of Kikvidze garden. The local population opposes this construction. The locals addressed different NGOs and started collecting signatures to address the President with the request to save the garden and preserve its recreational status.

Teona Mazmishvili who lives near Kikvidze garden stated: “This is a recreational place. If trees are cut down, what good can it be?! Police building will not be very appealing in the garden. Yes, it will be safe, but the park already has security guards and it is protected rather well,” – Teona Mazmishvili states.

Giorgi Sharikashvili a high school student who visits Kikvidze garden with his friends every day stated: “I think it would be good because it will be safer here. There will be less crimes and I am rather positive towards this development. It is true that the trees will be cut which is bad, but overall things will be better.”

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