Peasants Rebel in Kakheti

Yesterday, peasants from various districts in Kakheti Region went out in the street in protest. They complained that there was not water in channels which will cause serious problems for their plots. Before demonstration, the peasants urged the government for help several times, though in vain. Unless the water is let in the channel, their demonstrations will become more public. Today, they threatened to block Tbilisi-Telavi high-way.

The tank house of the irrigation system on Kvemo Alazani River is a state strategic entity and it was exploited in 1933. The system supplies agricultural plots in the Telavi, Gurjaani, Signagi and Dedoflistskaro districts with water. In spring of 2005 the tank lid was destroyed during the river flood and the Kakheti region faced the danger of being flooded. In order to avoid the problem, Development Fund of Georgian Municipality funded the project on “Rehabilitation of the Kvemo Alazani Irrigation System.” Contractor firm, “D.T” was apportioned 10 million lari from the fund to carry out the rehabilitation works. The rehabilitation should have finished by May 15 according to the statement of the Ministry of Finances he made during his visit in Kakheti. “After the irrigation system is rehabilitated, the surrounding area will not be flooded anymore. The system will start functioning in spring and your land will be watered from the Alazani River. The water will be let in the channel by May 15. We can assure you that drought will never threaten Kakheti region,” said Lekso Aleksishvili, the Minister of Finances.

The peasants and farmers started to cultivate their plots with the hope; however, nearly 60 villages of the region remained without water. The villagers have petitioned to local authority regarding the problem several times, but there has been no result yet.

“We have been to the Administrative Board several times but the Governor has not met us. Other officials have deceived us that they will settle our problem next day or two days later, In fact two weeks have passed without any results. We have dried all ponds in the villages in order to water our plants. But now there is no more water. Unless they release water today or tomorrow, our plants will blemish completely. We have no more alternative methods to water our plots,” said the peasants who expressed their protest in front of the Gurjaani Municipality Building yesterday. Then they moved to the building of “Alazani-M” Ltd to go on with their demonstration.  The Ltd is one of those four enterprises which were established on the base of Melioration Department, liquidated by the Ministry of Agriculture. Those Ltds are responsible to manage the issues regarding the irrigation and collect irrigation bills.

The board of the “Alazani-M” Ltd did not meet the demonstrators and the peasants got angrier.

“After all, we cannot understand what they want. Should the Kakheti region demand autonomy too? Should not they pay attention to us? We are hungry people. We try to grow cucumber, tomatoes and beans to survive and they seize that opportunity too. We have arrived from Signagi District and they did not meet us,” said Solomon Kumsiashvili.

“Initially they have fixed price on water and make us pay the increased bills though nobody supplies us with water. Doesn’t President Saakashvili know that the Kakheti region is on the edge of starvation? And not only Kakheti but most part of Georgia is in similar situation. Unless we have harvest we will not be able to sell anything…Nearly 60 villages depend on that water. Everything is withering in our plots. If they do not supply us with water tomorrow, we will not be responsible for our behavior. Where have they spent ten million lari? They could have cut a new channel with that money and besides that they are carrying out some rehabilitation works every year and cut off the water-supply when situation is the most urgent,” Robizon Luashvili, a peasant from Telavi, cannot help his astonishment.

Aleksandre Kacharava, director of the “Alazani-M”, Ltd, pointed out in his conversation with the Human Rights Center that he understands the problem of the people. However he added that the villages would not be supplied with water, until rehabilitation works finished. “As building company still carries out rehabilitation works, the water cannot be supplied. We are completely invalid in this particular situation, because the Fund of Georgian Municipality Development has initiated the rehabilitation activities not we,” said Kacharava.

According to the Municipality Development Fund, the reason for the delay was high level of sediment in April and May in 2007, which damaged some quarters of main channel in Kvemo Alazani Irrigation System.

“As a result of the natural disaster, there were several problems on the cross-quarter of the main channels of Shroma and Kardenakhi Gorges. On May 6 the flood destroyed the channel of Kvemo Alazani irrigation system and consequently it became impossible to let the water into the channel by May 15.

The Fund for Georgian Municipal Development involved the Alazani-M, Ltd in the rehabilitation works because it was necessary to clear the channel. On May 15 the Ministry of Agriculture ordered the Ltd to assist the Municipality Development Fund in the works.

Within the framework of the project on “Rehabilitation of the Kvemo Alazani Irrigation System”, funded by the Fund of the Georgian Municipality Development, the contractor Ltd “D.T.” took urgent measures to carry out cleaning works of certain quarters in the channel. These works still go on which will supposedly finish by May 23,” said Lasha Gotsiridze, executive director of the Municipality Development Fund in his conversation with the Human Rights Center.

The peasants do not trust those promises and threaten to hold protest demonstrations hereinafter. 

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti