Demonstration with Participation of Cows in Batumi

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Another group of eco-migrants returned from Gorelovka village of Ninotsminda district to Adjara. Six families unsuccessfully requested solution of their problems in front of the Adjara government office. Eco-migrants held unusual demonstrations – they brought the cattle to the government office by truck, which they could not feed because of lack of pastures in Ninotsminda district.

On August 17, eco-migrants returned to Adjara from Ninotsminda too. They also complain about lack of plots. Eco-migrants said they cannot receive harvest and cannot keep cattle.

“We want normal plots, to mow hay and feed cattle in winter. We have neither pasture nor agricultural plots. We will somehow feed cattle in summer but in winter we cannot send them to the fields,” Bezhan Beridze said.

Murad Beridze, eco-migrant: “We could not meet government representatives on the weekends and intend to meet the assistant to the chairman of the government Davit Chelidze on Monday. We request to register more land on us or to allow us to rent plots. Locals occupy everything in the district. If we do not have land, we cannot earn our living.”

Eco-migrants said they had petitioned to the representative of Gorelovka village to the municipal board but they could not resolve their problem. Afterwards, they decided to return to Batumi with their families and children to protest. Now, they shelter at their relatives in Tsereteli Street. They keep the cattle in the farm near the airport territory.

Head of Social-Economic Department of the Adjara Government Koba Chkheidze said that their government can assist eco-migrants only in the communication with Ninotsminda district administration. “I talked with the district governor who said that everybody in their district has this problem because this year there was little grass in Ninotsminda and Tsalka districts because of drought.”

96 eco-migrant families from Adjara were resettled in Ninotsminda district in 2008. Eco-migrants say they have always complained about lack of lands. If the government of Adjara Autonomous Republic does not assist them, they intend to return back to Adjara. Other eco-migrant families will also follow them unless their problems are resolved.