Tbilisi replaces 5,508 dying trees in 100,000 GEL project

Thousands of dead or diseased trees in Georgia’s capital city are being felled and replaced in a project exceeding 100,000 GEL.

City of Light won a tender to replace 5,508 damaged and dying trees in Tbilisi and nearby territories.

The works started today and will continue for the rest of the month. It will cost about 100,000 GEL to cut down and replace the dead or diseased trees, officials said.

Head of Tbilisi City Hall’s ecology service Bidzina Giorgobiani confirmed every tree that is removed in the project will be replaced. The felling will continue for one month before the new trees are planted in October and November, he said.

"The felled trees will be replaced by new ones [that are] more resistant to the local environment,” said Giorgobiani.

City of Light chairman Vasil Khorava said it would cost anywhere from 17-22 GEL to cut down one tree.

Meanwhile Giorgobiani said the felled trees would be distributed to the socially vulnerable population as firewood.