Road connection to 7 villages restored, 5 still cut off following flood in western Georgia
Professionals from the Roads Department working on restoring connection to the villages in Georgia's west. Photo via Roads Department of Georgia.
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Access to seven villages affected by heavy rain and flooding in western Georgia's Racha province has been restored, with the five other villages still without proper road connection to the rest of the country.
The Roads Department of Georgia said on Saturday its professionals were accessing some of the localities through temporary bypass roads while also working to bring River Rioni, overflowing following heavy rain on Juy 28, back to its streambed.
Of the temporary roads set up to access the locations while work on proper road connections continues, two were set up on Friday to the villages of Jintsvisi and Gona, the department said.
Gaps in roads have been formed as the overflowing River Rioni collapsed the sections during the rain. Photo via Roads Department of Georgia.
Infrastructure professionals involved in the work are faced with sections of roads that collapsed during the flood, creating gaps in the connections to the villages. In total the gaps comprise about two kilometres in length.
Partial power has already been restored to 11 of the 12 villages affected by the natural disaster, with specialists working to provide power using generators in the meanwhile.
While work on restoring infrastructure proceeds, the interior ministry is operating its helicopters to transport those who choose to leave the cut-off villages to the city of Oni. Nine flights have been carried out so far to bring 80 people out.
Heavy rains hit the Oni Municipality on Tuesday, washing away 10 bridges and stranding about 2,000 residents in the villages left without road connection.
Four disaster-affected villages in the Racha region (Ghebi, Little Ghebi, Shovi, Glola) will be cut off from the rest of the country for about a month as heavy rain damaged the central highway in the region and washed away ten bridges on July 28.
Rescuers of Georgia’s emergency service have evacuated 150 people from the disaster zone in Georgia’s western Oni municipality (Racha region) which was hit by heavy rain and flooding on July 28. Rescuers have provided locals with food and medicine.
Heavy rain has hit 12 villages in Georgia’s western Oni municipality (Racha region). Ten bridges have been washed away by the Rioni River. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s advisor for regional development issues Sozar Subari, Director of the United Water Supply Company Giga Mandaria, and Head of Emergency Management Service Temur Mgebrshvili will study the disaster on the ground.
Heavy hail has hit 10 villages of Bolnisi municipality in Georgia’s eastern Kvemo Kartli region. Agricultural land plots have been damaged and several trees have been downed.
Heavy hail has hit villages in the Telavi municipality of Kakheti region.
Traffic, power supply and communications have almost been restored in the Georgian region of Racha about 10 days after the flood which damaged 12 local villages, announces Georgian Infrastructure Minister Maia Tskitishvili.
The government of Georgia will allocate around 45 million GEL (about $14.59 mln/€12.33 mln) to deal with the aftermath of flooding in the region of Racha where 12 local villages experienced significant damage after heavy rains last month.
The villages of Choluris Temi and Lashkhetis Temi in Lentekhi municipality have been cut off following flooding western Georgian region of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti as a result of heavy rains early this morning.
A total of 3,170 disaster-affected Georgian citizens will benefit from European Union humanitarian aid, which includes food parcels, hygiene kits and cash support.