Akhaltsikhe Population Copes Without Water

Akhaltsikhe population has not been supplied with water for a week already. They are threatening to hold demonstrations regarding the situation.

“We will go out in the street and block central road, or hold demonstration in front of the building of the Administrative Board. Nobody, who is in charge of the situation, is going to resolve our problem,“ said Margo Gogoladze, a resident of the Akhaltsikhe district.

“It is easier to endure without electricity, but you cannot live without water,“ said Nino Beridze.

Vardzia and Aspindza Streets are situated on the right embankment of the River Mtkvari and the residents of these streets are fetching water from the river. The residents of the block of flats live in the most difficult situations.

“Now, when it is seven degrees below zero outside and the water gets frozen even in the flats, the surface of the rover is completely icy. I have to break the ice to get water out and carry it up to the fifth floor,” said Margo Gogoladze.

“Since we do not let enough water in the canalization system, it will get frozen too. Consequently, there will be nobody to replace the pipes,” said Elza Chiashvili, a resident of the Vardzia Street.

The newly constructed April 9 Street in the entrance of the town has not been supplied with the water for more than a month.

“People have become dirty! We must hold demonstrations!” residents of the April 9 Street said in their conversation with the Human Rights Center.

“Water is not supplied to the people because of unpaid bills,’” said Guram Sheshaberidze, director of the Tskalkanali (water system) Ltd.

Officials from the district administration said the same. “Water will be supplied to the population when they pay bills,” they said.

Each person in Akhaltsikhe has to pay 0, 63 tetri for water; however they speak the tax will be increased in future.

“Nobody has come and told us to pay bills. If they did, we would somehow have managed to pay it like we did about electricity bills. Moreover, they should have announced in advance that they were cutting off water supply and we would have prepared for the delay. They remember about us during election campaign and give us various promises. Who cares about people now? There are so many governmental bodies in the district, administrative boards and municipalities. The regional governor has three deputies. The population has lived in such poor conditions for so long time and none of those officials have come to give at least fraudulent promises to assist us,” said Meri Kenchoshvili, a local resident.

Gulo Kokhodze, Akhaltsikhe