Flood-damaged Vere ravine will be transformed into a recreational zone

Georgia's Infrastructure Minister said all constructions at the ravine were illegal. Photo by N. Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Agenda.ge, 12 Oct 2015 - 18:31, Tbilisi,Georgia

A recreational zone will be established in Vere ravine; a place that was virtually destroyed by a flash flood on June 13. 

Today Georgia’s Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Nodar Javakhishvili said constructions were not planned in Vere ravine and a recreational zone would be established instead. 

Moreover, he said all constructions at the ravine were illegal. 

The Government should have had a different approach before the natural disaster hit the ravine. No new buildings must be constructed there after the floods. The threat still remains,” Javakhishvili said. 

After the disaster in June, Georgian and foreign experts started to design a strategy of ways to repair the flood-affected Vere River and its ravine, in a bid to prevent a similar disaster occurring in the future.

The World Bank, Red Cross, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and USAID representatives as well as the United States, Swedish and German governments and Ambassadors accredited in Georgia expressed readiness to support Georgia as it recovered from the disaster.

Before the final project for developing the Vere ravine was presented, all people would know a recreational zone would be arranged there. 

On a similar note flood-damaged areas were being brought back to life for public use. 

Last month Mziuri Park in central Tbilisi hosted people with disabilities at the Sun Festival. 

Tbilisi City Hall supported the New Mziuri project, initiated by local citizen and photographer Ana Goguadze, who founded the non-profit Sun Festival organisation. 

Her idea was to revive the flood damaged area in a way that would allow the space to be easily accessible for people with disabilities. She also envisaged constructing an amphitheater and establishing a cafe that will not be focused on generating a profit.

Last month - three months on from the deadly flood that destroyed most of Tbilisi Zoo, the upper section of the animal park reopened. The park opened on September 13 and would operate until a new zoo was built at Tbilisi Sea territory.

One part of the New Highway (Chabua Amirejibi Highway) that connected Vake and Saburtalo districts was also reopened to traffic on September 15. Another part was still under rehabilitation works. The highway was strongly damaged during the Tbilisi flood. 

See the city centre before and after the disaster.