Dariali HES Construction Breaches the Law

Manana Kveliashvili
Information Center of Mtskheta Mtianeti

Construction of the Dariali Hydro-Electro Station in Kazbegi district contradicts the law. The law about reserved territories prohibits HES construction in the territory of the national park.

The Department of Ecological Expertise and Inspection within the Environmental Ministry with Nikoloz Chakhankia as a head issued the positive ecological expertise conclusion on the construction of the Dariali HES. Chakhankia was asked why the department issued the permission while the law prohibits HES construction in the territory of the Kazbegi National Park and he answered he does not work in the ministry any longer.

 “I no longer work at the ministry. You can call the Ministry and get answers to your questions there,” Chakhankia said.

The head of press-center of the Environmental Ministry Eka Bendeliani clarified that Chakhankia resigned based on his personal application. “I do not know the reason. He filed a resignation application and the Minister satisfied it,” Bendeliani said. 

New head of the department Davit Chichinadze said he occupied the position on February 17 and is studying the materials now. “I was appointed to the position on Friday and I am studying those materials now. So, I cannot comment on the issue yet. I do not want to make incompetent clarifications,” Davit Chichinadze told the ICMM.

After the positive ecological expertise conclusion was issued on the construction of Dariali HES, the government of Georgia petitioned to the parliament and requested to promptly introduce amendments to the Law about Reserved Territories. Namely, they requested to reduce the territory of Kazbegi National Park with 8.7 hectares. The parliament passed the draft law at two hearings and although the Association Green Alternative blamed the Environmental Ministry in breaching the law for issuing the conclusion, and requested the Ministry to study the case and the Parliament to suspend the discussion of the draft-law.

“The Environmental Ministry was absolutely aware that the planned HES construction would have occupied the area of the National Park and despite that the Ministry issued positive conclusion and breached several articles of the Law about Reserved Territories,” the statement of the Green Alternative reads.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Environment and Natural Resources Akaki Bobokhidze said the Ministry has not breached the law.

“There are different types of reserved territories. Among them are reserved territories where agricultural activities are allowed. So, nobody has breached the law. Agricultural activities, and cattle-breeding are allowed in Kazbegi National Park; people pasture their cattle there,” Bobokhidze told the ICMM.

According to the MP, there is a completely different problem which is related with the Tergi River and the under-construction HES on it. “We can speak about different problem there. Of course, the Dariali HES will receive water from the river bed which will be released into the river bed again; so water level will not be reduced at all. Scientists have already expressed their opinions, estimated minimal limit of water amount in the river bed that must not be breached. If the water in the river bed goes below the limit, the HES will stop working. So, the water level in the river bed will never be lowered,” said Akaki Bobokhidze.

According to the Law about Reserved Territories, various activities are allowed in various zones of the National Park. The law does not clarify the concrete types of prohibited activities but it lists the permitted activities. And construction of the HES is not on the list of permitted activities.

Short time ago, non-governmental organizations Green Alternative and Stepantsminda stated that construction and operating of the Dariali HES in the Dariali Ravine will cause inevitable damage of the eco-system. The organizations released the conclusion after having studied the report about Evaluation of Impact on Natural and Social Environment prepared within the project of the Dariali HES.

“The project aims to direct huge amount of water (90%) into a derivation channel and tunnel along 8-kilomter-long distance. The total length of the Dariali Ravine is 11 kilometers and only 10% of average amount of water will remain in the 8-kilometer-long part of it. The project will completely change the landscape of the Ravine, which will finally result into disappearance of historical, cultural-ethnographic and tourist values of the National Park. The project will cause inevitable impact on the endangered species like stream trout which will finally disappear from the River Tergi,” the environmentalists said.

Dariali HES with 110 megawatt power is being constructed on the right bank of the River Tergi between the Rivers Kuro and Khdis Tskali in Kazbegi district close to the Russian-Georgian border. Ltd Darial Energy is constructing the HES. According to the government, 120 million USD will be invested into the construction and it will be exploited from 2014. Georgian population will be supplied with the produced electricity in winter and in summer the electricity will be exported to Turkey.