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Flood Threatens the Chomi Population

December 18, 2007

“We have gone to sleep with fear for many years and every morning we thank God that we wake up safe and alive. We are do not know when the water can flood our homes again. Why does nobody care about us?” - 81-year-old Nodar Gabadaze from Kutaisi has been asking this question for several years now. Everyday he sees the destroyed Rioni riverbed and the river that approaches their homes.

The Chomi district in Kutaisi is a place where people only share their problems with each other.” When it rains, the water enters the houses and takes away our household goods. This area will probably only contain the ruins of our homes in the near future,” - claim the Chomi dwellers.

According to the local government this problem requires too much money and it is quite difficult to arrange solutions. In this case the local government is indifferent and does not care about its fellow residents. Otherwise the Kutaisi budget, which amounts to 33 million, would apportion funds to solving the problem.

“The local budget of 2007 is the highest in recent years. The main problem is that in this budget the priorities are not defined. The amounts are not categorized according to policy. Kutaisi residents are not aware how their taxes will be spent according to the budget and which issues have priority. The same is in the case of Chomi dwellers. If the population would have had an opportunity to be included in the assignment of the budget there would be greater transparency and the priorities of the local government would be more clear. Unfortunately our reality is different because all decisions are taken spontaneously and verbally,” - states Kakha Gvanceladze, the head of the Kutaisi Office of the Young Economists Association.

Although in the case of Chomi dwellers, neither impulsive nor premeditated decisions are taken by the local government. Chomi residences are asking the seventh mayor of Kutaisi for assistance and explain him their problems, but in vain. Like previous mayors, the present one does not really take their problems into consideration. Nigzar Shamugia states that they will apportion funds for strengthening the riverbank in the oldest district of Kutaisi next year, if the budget would allow for such an expenditure.

At the present time, there are not enough funds available in a 33 million budget for restoring the  infrastructure of the old district while at the same time the Kutaisi City Hall has spent 150 000 lari to design the city for New Year in November.

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi.      

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