Assembly to Request Electricity and Rubbish Bins

Tinatin Lomadze, Adjara

Voluntarily settled inhabitants of the territory of former 53rd battalion in Khelvachauri held protest demonstration and blocked Batumi-Akhaltsikhe road for half an hour. Law enforcement officers dismissed them that caused physical controversy too.

The inhabitants requested electricity supply and improvement of sanitary conditions. “We do not have electricity. We spent last winter in cold and anti-sanitary and now we will have to spend upcoming winter in the same conditions. They do not supply us with electricity claiming that we have voluntarily sheltered this building. I have 11-year-old child and cannot freeze him in winter,” said Zeinab Gurgenidze from Khelvachauri.

Manana Beridze, another protester: “Why do not we deserve rubbish bin? We are lonely and disabled people.  We live in anti-sanitary and request the City Hall to put rubbish bins here.”

It is noteworthy that population held demonstration with similar requests in front of the Batumi City Hall on September 26 too.

Human rights defender Tamaz Bakuridze arrived at the demonstration. He said the government makes fun of the population. “We know that blocking a road is illegal action but people are compelled to do it because the Mayor laughed at them. These people request elementary living conditions in the 21st Century – electricity and rubbish bins.”

Batumi Mayor Jemal Ananidze promised to study the situation: “We will inspect the territory and it is not excluded that we will put waste containers there.”

People settled in the territory of the former 53rd battalion in Khelvachauri after parliamentary elections. They said they had no other accommodation.