Locals of Bakhmaro have to Leave Their Places

The place, where winter lasts for 7 months, where the snow covers the mountains till summer; where the air is always fresh and where the unique mineral springs come from the ground, is expecting the “economic development”.

The Ministry of Economics begins the development of Bakhmaro (Mountainous region of Guria) by the checking of the legality of private property. After this checking, it is possible, that a lot of inhabitants of Bakhmaro will loose lands and cottages.

According to the decision of the Ministry of Economic Development, a project of the development of health resort Bakhmaro must be implemented till 2010. This project aims the development of infrastructure and tourism in Bakhmaro.

Private company “Andamati” will implement this project.

Mikheil Svimonishvili, governor of Guria declares that before the building of new hotels and entertainment centers, they will clear up the legality of cottages and lands.

Mikheil Svimonishvili (regional representative): “1,700.000 Gel has been transferred for the development of tourism in Bakhmaro. The Ministry of Economics and all of us are working to develop infrastructure in this resort. This is the unique place and the potential of Bakhmaro is enormous”.

In the interview with Human Rights Centre, Gamgebeli of Chokhatauri region insists that 90% of the cottages are illegal in the health resort.

Shalva Tordia (Gamgebeli of Chokhatauri ragion): “The most part of these cottages are illegal. A lot of people built little houses here. These cottages are not registered. Some of these cottages have been registered in the hearth book a long time ago, though even those houses are not registered in the Public Registry. We are working on this issue. It is the fact, that in the nearest future, Bakhmaro will be changed. Such kind of cottages will be removed from the health resort.”

The locals do not know anything about the mentioned decision. According to them, nobody has appealed to them with the demand of the reconstruction of the cottages.

The representatives of the one of the family declare that all the documents of the privacy are in order. Though, a lot of locals admitted, that their houses are built illegally.

Health resort season lasts only 4 months. In winter there are no living conditions in Bakhmaro and that’s why, the inhabitants leave their living places during winter and move to another place. Health resort season begins in summer and lasts only 4 months.

N. Abuselidze (local): “In summer we rent our cottages and with this income we try to live in winter. The price of the rooms is different – from 100 to 300 laris. This year government has supplied us with the electricity. Now we have the problem of bridge. Today the weather is good, but when it is rainy the level of the river rises and the water damages everything.”  

Generally the bridges on the rivers in Guria are not safe. 70 percent of them are out of order because of heavy rains. Most of the bridges from Ozurgeti to Bakhmaro are either totally or partly destroyed. 
 

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Bakhmaro