PM Gakharia: 300,000 citizens across country to receive 24hr water supply by end of year
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia reported on completed and ongoing stages of water supply programme to the parliament on Friday. Photo via Facebook.
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Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has revealed plans to provide round-the-clock water supply to 300,000 citizens lacking proper water infrastructure across the country, with the governmental effort set to bring the supply to them by the end of the year.
Gakharia made the commitment during his annual report to the parliament on Friday, confirming the pledge to the prospective beneficiaries of the project. Many of the citizens in question live beyond large cities and have had to deal with long-standing water supply issues.
Reporting on completion of work for providing round-the-clock supply to towns including Mestia in highland Svaneti province in the north, Black Sea resort Anaklia and the city of Kaspi in the east, the prime minister also confirmed a completion of a first phase for bringing supply for Kutaisi.
The completion of the first stage has seen 90,000 residents receive constant water delivery in the western city, one of the three largest of the country.
Among the locations that will see consistent supply in the following phases of the governmental effort are the city of Zugdidi in the Samegrelo province in the west, Abastumani and Tskaltubo resort towns and the Gudauri winter resort.
Gakharia said the 2020-planned work would still leave "hundreds of thousands" of residents to be supplied beyond this year, and noted another three to five years of the project were required to "finally solve" the countrywide system of water supply and sewage systems.
The head of the government also told the parliament 70,000 residents of towns and smaller locations had become beneficiaries of the programme in 2019.
About 202 million GEL ($66.12m/€58.37) will be spent on 67 water and sewerage infrastructure projects throughout Georgia in 2020 that will benefit about 779,625 people, announces the United Water Supply Company of Georgia.
Hundreds of people living in a Chiatura village in Georgia’s western Imereti region are welcoming a 36 million GEL project to benefit from the continuous, quality water supply during 24-hour per day.
For the first time ever about 5,500 residents of Tsnori village in Georgia’s Kakheti region will have access to a clean, 24-hour water supply thanks to a new project and financial contribution of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Union (EU).
Georgian Finance Minister Ivane Matchavariani has signed a €60 million loan with German Development Bank (KfW) to develop water infrastructure in Batumi and a €120 million loan in total from KfW and French Development Bank (AFD) to develop the country’s energy sector.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has met with members of a coordination group to discuss the problem of water supply at the Georgian ski resorts of Bakuriani and Gudauri. At the meeting, they discussed the causes of the interrupted water supply and ways of solving the problem.They noted that water is not supplied to the Redco complex in Gudauri, nor to 10 per cent of the Bakuriani area.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said in his annual report to parliament that Georgia had positive features of macro economy in early 2020 but the global coronavirus pandemic has changed the situation.
About 40,000 people living in a Georgian town of Khashuri and its surrounding settlements will benefit from continuous water supply and wastewater services as part of a new project that the European Union and the French Development Agency are financing in the country.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $150 million in loans to improve water supply and sanitation services in Georgia. Furthermore, under the Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Development Program, ADB will provide a $130 million policy-based loan and a $20 million project loan.
The European Union (EU) has provided €7.15 million to modernise the water supply and sanitation systems in Khashuri municipality of Georgia through the French development Agency (AFD). A grant financing agreement was signed today.
A new wastewater treatment plant has been opened in Telavi in Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti, in which 16.9 million GEL was invested, announces the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia. The project was implemented by the Municipal Development Fund with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the World Bank.