Hardship in Bursachiri

Giorgi Ioramashvili, Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Nobody recalls many of mountainous villages even during pre-election period. People still migrate from the mountainous villages because of lack of roads and many unresolved social problems. Neither government nor opposition parties have presented program for the development of mountainous regions before upcoming parliamentary elections. At least, no similar document was presented to people yet.

Mountainous village Bursachiri in Gudamakari community within Dusheti district is located about 100 kilometers away to the north-west from Tbilisi. In the past, military way was going through Bursachiri village in Gudamakari Gorge; this road was built during the Tsarist Russia and it connected Georgia with Russia.

Bursachiri village was a populous settlement three dozen years ago but because of lack of road and social problems it got completely abandoned for the last few years. Nobody stays in the village in winter. Villagers go to Bursachiri only in summer and use the place as cattle pasture.

Bursachiri is five kilometers away from Chokhi village, native village of famous Georgian writer and film-director Goderdzi Chokheli; his mother was from Bursachiri village. Five-kilometer road often gets damaged by landslides and water-floods that is the biggest problem for Gudamakari residents who keep their families by cattle and sheep breeding. 

Burschari residents said they have heard many promises from the government of Georgia to repair the road particularly during pre-election period but they had never kept their promises.

Locals state certain amount money is allocated in Dusheti district budget every year but they do not know where this money is spent.

Valiko Aptsiauri, Gudamakari resident: “We have almost lost hope the road will be ever repaired. Let them take care of the road at least to Chokha village and then we will not complain about the road to our village. We have to work in inhuman conditions because of these problems. I think we will not endure it for a long time and in several years Bursachiri will be empty even in summer. If there is serious flood, local people collect 50 lari in the fall and summer and hire tractor to clean and repair the road. If we do not do that, we cannot take even products to the village. In the fall we have to bring cheese and hay from the mountain and this road seriously hinders us.”

Gudamakari residents do not hope the government will ever assist them and do not live with any optimistic expectations either. 

“Since the government does not pay attention to us, we have, both women and men, to jointly work to clean the road. It cannot finally resolve the problem but we manage to temporarily clean the road to use it for our purposes.  Last year, certain amount of money was allocated on Gudamakari community to assist our village. They brought a new tractor from England which cost too expensive – 49 000 pounds. Now, they found out that this tractor is not relevant for Gudamakari landscape and cannot properly do its job,” Izo Kavtaradze from Gudamakari said.

Humanrights.ge took a photo of a footbridge on the river which is destroyed and taken away by the water after every rain.

Bursachiri villagers live in similar hardship and even government has forgotten about them; politicians did not recall them even before upcoming elections. Maybe, short number of Bursachiri population and in Gudamakari Gorge in general is reason of this inattention. Small population means few votes in the election. But, endless inattention will finally ravage the mountainous villages. 

Photo reporting