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21st Century Cavemen

December 22, 2006

natura2.gifPeople from the village of Utkisubani in Adigeni District have not seen light in almost fifteen years.  Of course, they have seen the daylight, but what they haven't seen is a glimmer of light from the glass bulbs collecting dust around their homes.  "Is this a life? Is this a normal !" the villagers complain.

Five-year-old Khvicha Geladze saw electricity at his aunt's place in another village for the first time. "The child nearly went blind," people joked in the village.

Utkisubani is mostly inhabited by Adjarian people. Residents of the small village, which is located near the Goderdzi Pass, survive on the bare necessities.

"We have turned into bats. Nobody pays attention to us. We have applied to the district authority many times. Nothing has come of it," said resident Ilia Saginadze.

"How long are we going to live in this darkness?" asked resident Fridon Geladze.

"The information about the Rose Revolution reached our village in December, [a month after the actual event]. A guest from Batumi visited a neighbor and told us of the news. We have neither a working television nor a radio," resident Nazi Kochaladze said.

"We used to live in better conditions during Soviet times. Then, everything went wrong, and thieves started visiting us frequently. After that, people realized that the copper in the electrical wires could be sold, and they started to steal it.  Many of the lines were stripped," regretted Temur Khozrevanidze.

"We have sent a letter to the president. People came from the power company and took pictures, but they have not done anything, yet," said resident Givi Geladze.

Officials from the Samtskhe-Javakheti Branch of the Georgian United Energy Distribution Company know about the problem. However, they say that 50,000 GEL is necessary to restore Utkisubani's electrical system and that the company cannot invest such a large amount at this time.

The new Governor of the Adigeni District, Zura Chilingarishvili, has promised villagers to improve the reliability of their electricity supply.

"When I was appointed temporary governor of the district, I sent a letter to Din White, Director General of the United Energy Distribution Company, regarding the village's electricity problem.  I do not want the letter to remain simply a letter. Seventeen families live in the village of Utkisubani, and [if United Energy does not solve the problem], I am going to buy a generator for every family in order to provide them light for New Year's.  We shall supply them with fuel as well," said the Adigeni District Governor.

However, the villagers do not believe the governor because of so many past disappointments. 

Gulo Kokhodze, Adigeni

 

 

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