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Minister Levan Davitashvili: “Throughout the construction process, there might be additional circumstances identified, which shall be comprehensively studied and taken into consideration. Preliminary studies cannot be 100% exhaustive”
There have been additional geological studies carried out across the territory for constructing the HPP’s building, as well as the territory or water intake; also, location for positioning tunnel has also been studied, along with analyzing effect of water volume within reservoir on areas vulnerable to landslide. Based on environmental findings (articles 12, 13, 14, 16), LTD “Enka Renewables” has been obliged to fulfill the following tasks upon geological needs:
- LTD “Enka Renewables”, prior to launching construction and within the stage of construction-ooperation, ensure periodic visual monitoring at infrastructural units and the corresponding nearby areas vulnerable to landslide (especially, for the sake of determining their influence over the reservoir’s sustainability) and to ensure that the Ministry is provided with findings every 6 months;
- The “Enka Renewables” shall ensure arrangement of instrumental monitoring system at #6 landslide (Gona) and undertake the relevant preliminary research and provide the findings to the Ministry. Undertaking the respective research is permissible simultaneously with constructing the HPP; monitoring system shall be installed prior to launching operation of the reservoir. According to the respective circumstances that piezometers and inclinometers shall be arranged (which requires to construct a borehole) for determining rapidness of a landslide body (movement scale or resilient zone location in the deep), the Ministry shall be provided with findings following borehole construction for the consent;
- The “Enka Renewables” shall ensure detailed engineering-geological study of the channeling tunnels toward derivation and connecting chambers (simultaneously with constructing the chambers) and provide findings to the Ministry;
- The “Enka Renewables” shall provide the Ministry with findings on hydrogeological monitoring study of the water resources within the proposed territory, once a year. A special emphasis shall be deployed to water-supply to the populated areas and an impact of the HPP’s infrastructure. In case of decreasing or losing debit on the latter – local dwellers shall be ensured with an additional water-supply;
- Throughout the construction process, it is vital to ensure oversight over water regime; an impact on springs has been excluded, however, the terms have set forth an obligation to ensure access to an alternative water-supply;
- Meanwhile, landslide locations have been assessed, however, the standards anticipate to carry out research simultaneously. In parallel with constructing the chambers, the company has been tasked to undertake engineering-geological research and provide the Ministry with the findings. In Georgia, as well as the whole world, the standards have set forth an obligation to ensure parallel studies simultaneously with a construction process.