Cement Kiln Dust-Unresolved Problem for Kaspi Population

The problem regarding cement dust is old, though still urgent, because has been impossible to resolve it for many years. Most part of Kaspi population complains about lung and eye diseases.

People avoid complaining about bad influence of the factory owned by “Kaspitsementi” Company, because most part of local residents is employed in the enterprise. Thus, they swallow dangerous cement dust together with their unrevealed complaints.

Several years ago, inventor Nugzar Dalakishvili invented filter for the factory. The test on the invention showed that it could stop almost 100 % of dust; however the inventor refused to present his invention to the state without any money. Consequently, his filter, installed only on one chimney, was removed. Finally, Dalakishvili was blamed for plagiarism of strange invention and it could not stop the dust.

According to the population, the inventor demanded little price for his invention (about 45 thousand lari) but the health of population is not that much important for the government (!). Giorgi Papuashvili, that time Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, monitored the tests of the invention and evaluated it positively. However, his appreciation was not enough to resolve the problem for Kaspi population.

When German investors started business in Kaspi, they promised local population to install filters in the factory before June 2008.

Together with Mamuka Suladze, the director of the Kaspitsementi Company, Gela Vardiashvili, Director-General of the “Saktsementi” and Genhrid Strul, Caucasus Regional Manager of the Heidelberger Company took over the responsibilities to introduce the project to resolve the dust problem for Kaspi population. By the way, Robert Bezhuashvili, the manager of the Kaspitsementi sold 75 % of the Kaspitsementi to above-mentioned German Company.

According to the project introduced by the board of Saktsementi Company, local population will have to live in dusty town for another year. Initially, the owners of the Kaspitsementi Company plan to rehabilitate and develop the company according to European Standards. Then they want to import filters and install them in the factory. The project will finish before June 2008. Nevertheless the Kaspi population does not believe their promises and they are suspicious about the project introduced by the Kaspitsementi Company, which has not kept so many promises so far.

The cement kiln dust, spread in the air, badly influences the health of local people. Neither the statistic department within the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources keeps the problem in secret. According to the level of air pollution, Kaspi occupies the third place among Georgian cities. Zestafoni is on the second place because of the ferroalloy factory is located there and Batumi occupies the first place because of Oil Pile-line in the area.

Robert Baindurashvili, a resident of Kaspi, said: “My vineyard is 200 meters away from the cement factory. Early in spring the yard is covered with hot cement dust and burns it. During Communist regime they used filters in the factory; then the enterprise stopped its activities and I could reap 10-12 tones of grapes from my yard. Now, the harvest was reduced and vine-trees are withering. Cement factory threatens not only our health but it also damages us economically.”

Kaspi based cement factories threaten not only local population but residents of other districts.

Nona Nugzarishvili, a resident of the village of Kvemo Khandaki, said that when wind is blowing from Kaspi it becomes impossible to see trees several meters away from you.

“There is a cement factory close to my village. We held protest demonstrations and demanded to close it down; however part of villagers were against our demands because they were working at the factory. Later on, the owner installed filter on the kiln and it was a great relief for us. Now we have problems because of Kaspi based factory. When kiln is working there, the dust coming from the town seriously damages us. The trees are covered in white dust and we cannot reap any harvest. Our cattle do not have any pastures... Very often milk tastes cement, matsoni is not worth eating and people complain of stomachache, have pains in liver, in eyes and throat. Our health is terribly damaged because of this kiln dust,” said Nugzarishvili.

Residents of the village of Khandaki cannot understand whom to apply to regarding the problem. Some villagers say that all cement factories in Kaspi belongs to Georgian President’s brother. Others claim that Gela Bezhuashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is owner of the Kaspitsementi Company and the government “cannot notice” any ecological crimes in the factory.

Kaspi residents think that the best resolution of their problem is to install modern filters on the factory kilns as well as systemic cooperation of those filters.

Thea Tedliashvili, Kaspi