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Victim’s Family Pleads for Help

January 10, 2006

Victim’s Family Pleads for Help

With tears in her eyes, Esma Dolidze speaks of her home, so badly damaged by the sea flood that it has become dangerous to inhabit, “We live in this house. We do not know if we will be alive tomorrow, but we have no way out.”

The Dolidzes family, which consists of two pensioners and a student, live on the coastline. Their only income is a pension, which is often spent on the road to the local administration. “The pension, which is the monetary minimum for basic existence, is spent on the road from Adlia to Khelvachauri with the hope that something will be done for us.”

Floods from the sea have been damaging and destroying the village Adlia for several years. The shoreline is inundated. The local inhabitants understand the danger and have asked for help, and the government has announced that it will prepare plans to entrench and fortify the coastal defenses. However, it will be a long time before the plans are implemented. Meanwhile, the lives of those inhabiting Dolidzes are in danger.

As agreed, the regional administration of Khelvachauri has been paying the monthly rent 120 lari to the Dolidzes’ neighbors for two years, because that family felt safer in the neighbor’s home. But later, when government assistance ceased, the family was forced to move back into their house. A worried Esma Dolidze stated, “The administration no longer offers us monetary aid. I was forced to sell the cow in order to pay two-months rent. But I do not know how to pay the rest sum.”


The victim stated, “The house was built 25 years ago after the necessary documents had been obtained. I cannot help but wonder why the experts permitted the construction of this home and did not foresee the problems which we are currently facing.” Owing to the rolling seas, part of the house was damaged in 2003.  Today, half of the house is ruined and the part that remains intact is considerably damaged. According to geologists, it is dangerous to inhabit the home. Unfortunately, authorities offer little attention to this dire matter. “Roin Beridze, the governor of Khelvachauri region, visited the home only once, on October 5th, when there was a heavy rain, which damaged not only the home of my family, but several the habitations of my neighbors as well. The governor said the leader of Adjara Levan Varshalomidze was expected the next day, which was a spark of hope for me.  At night, the governer came back with workmen and cleaned the ruined part of the house, without our permission, in order to make it look better for Vashalomidze’s arrival. My house needs rebuilding, not  restoration or redecoration.”

The commission estimated the house value at  45,000 laris, which is the sum asked by the family, but only 9,000 lari has been approved and allotted by the administration badjet for them: “The sum is not enough for the reconstruction of our old home, or the building of a new one.”

The Dolidzes, who have strived 13 years for justice, said, “We live in the dishonest and unfair country, ruled by inhumane people. Beridze does not care that we live in the house which could collapse during the onset of the next storm.”

According to Roin Beridze, the administration cannot continue to pay the rent of the Dolidzes because the agreement between the family and the government was illegal. It was therefore abolished.

The governor states that such problems are global: “The special commission, which will implement the works to fortify the coastal defence, has been created. Adjara authorities have already planned a program and an allotted sum, 81,700 laris, exclusively for this project.” The family of Dolidzes, whose fate will likely be shared by other families in the near future, is attempting to become involved in the project, but so far their efforts have been in vain.

Maka Malakmadze from Batumi

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