Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

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Otar Shamugia inspected the infrastructural works in the area for the disposal of arsenic-containing waste in the Uravi village.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, along with state representative of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions, Mr. Papuna Margvelidze, and Majoritarian MP Mr. Gocha Enukidze, inspected the ongoing infrastructural works in the village of Uravi, Ambrolauri district, in the area for the disposal of arsenic-containing waste.

" At the beginning of the year, we started to arrange the place for the disposal of arsenic-containing ore-processing waste in Tsana and Uravi villages, following the government's decision. As soon as the decision was made, the fencing of these sites began. These works have already been completed in Tsana, although activities are being taken in the Uravi village and will be completed shortly. Simultaneously, the work on the environmental impact assessment document and the burial project on the Tsana site is underway and will be completed soon and submitted to the competent Agencies for consideration.


We expect to announce the tender for constructing the mentioned burial in the spring of next year. As long as the works are relatively large-scale, constructing will take some time. Ultimately, completing this project will resolve the problem in the mentioned area'' Mr. Otar Shamugia said.

According to the state representative, Mr. Papuna Margvelidze, a mining and chemical combine had operated in the Ambrolauri and Lentekhi municipalities for ten years. However, after the events in the 90s of the last century, it stopped functioning. As a result, the former combine and the entire infrastructure were destroyed, and the territories were contaminated with arsenic-containing waste.

"It is crucial that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture carries out fencing of the said territories. The process has already been completed in Svaneti, in the village of Tsana, and works in this regard are underway in the village of Uravi. Fencing these areas and isolating them from the population is important for the safety of the villagers," said Mr. Papuna Margvelidze.

It should be mentioned that systematic management measures are already being taken to dispose of the waste generated by processing arsenic-containing ore in the Ambrolauri and Lentekhi districts following a government decision. Apart from fencing the arsenic-affected regions, it is intended to collect arsenic-containing waste and construction waste from buildings, remove the contaminated soil, and bury it in a specially designed burial site.


Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili, the Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, and Mrs. Khatia Jikuridze, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency, reviewed the course of primary protective measures in the area for disposal of arsenic-containing waste in the village of Uravi along with the Minister.