Giorgi Khachidze, Member of the Parliamentary Minority, stated at the plenary session held on 29 May 2013 that a natural monument was destroyed at the Kazbegi Protected Area.

FactCheck

wondered whether or not any natural monuments were destroyed in the Kazbegi Municipality and which natural monument was the subject of Giorgi Khachidze's reference.

In the Kazbegi Municipality, travertine [

terrestrial sedimentary rock formed by precipitation of carbonate minerals from solution in ground and surface waters  and/or geothermal heated hot springs]  located near the Gudauri-Kobi road was in fact excavated by the Mamisoni company during  tunnel rehabilitation.

Giorgi Dvalashvili, Assistant Professor at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, states that a two-metre layer of travertine has been excavated and removed. The road to the remaining travertine on the slope in fact no longer exists. It will take hundreds of years to produce new travertine since water coming up from the ground was up until now divided over a fairly large area, but now no longer has sufficient space to run.

According to the information published by the Agency of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Georgia, “travertine does not have the status of a Protected Area… There were attempts last summer to entitle the mentioned territory with the status of natural monument but since the Protected Areas of Kazbegi would increase and cover the area of  travertine deposit, the issue was decided adversely."

Rati Japaridze, Head of the Agency of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Georgia, told the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Information Centre that the agreement has already been reached among the members of the Agency-established commission regarding the recognition of travertine as a natural monument. A relevant initiative should be submitted to the Parliament. According to Japaridze, the commission was requesting the recognition of travertine as a natural monument, although the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Georgia refused.

Shota Murghulia, Deputy Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure, made a comment regarding this issue. He stated during the discussion at the Heinrich Böll Foundation on 1 July that travertine in Kazbegi is not included in the list of Protected Areas and that sanctions were not imposed on the construction company for the damage it caused.

Irakli Matcharashvili, representative of the Green Alternative organisation, states that natural monuments were protected through the “Red Book” in Soviet times. Since independence, these natural monuments were left outside of the law and a new law needs to be adopted in order to give them the title of natural monument. According to the ordinance of the Georgian Government of 15 July 2011, which regards the approval of legislative activities plans for the Georgian Government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection took the responsibility to approve the Law on Establishing Natural Monuments and Management. According to Matcharashvili, Aleksandre Khetaguri, the former Minister for Energy and Natural Resources of Georgia, rejected some natural monuments from the list with the Ministry opposing some others as well. Travertine, situated near the Gudauri-Kobi road, was among them. Matcharashvili states that destroying travertine envisages criminal responsibility. “This activity is determined by Sub-Paragraph K of Paragraph 1 of Article 4 (construction of engineering protection building of viaduct tunnel) under the Law on Environmental Impact and Paragraph 2 (changes in exploitation conditions) and is subject to ecological expertise. Accordingly, a criminal case should be filed under Article 306 (activity without an environmental impact assessment) and the Article of Ministerial Negligence, also Under Article 287; this is the violation of the environmental protection rule."

Conclusion

The travertine situated near the Gudauri-Kobi road was in fact excavated, although it does not have the status of natural monument.

The problem related to the protection of Natural Monuments in Georgia will always be on the agenda until the relevant legislation improves. Currently proper legislation does not exist in Georgia. The Law on the Status of Protected Areas is enforced; however, it is not enough for protecting the Natural Monuments. According to the statement by the Head of the Agency of Protected Areas, a bill has to be proposed to the Parliament which requires certain time and procedures. Meanwhile, certain companies, which might not have enough and necessary information, may be damaging significant monuments; however, sanctions are not imposed on them for this.

Accordingly, we rate the statement by Giorgi Khachidze: “A natural monument was destroyed and excavated in Kazbegi,”  HALF TRUE.