Ecological Law Centre Appeals Against Highway Building in “Mziuri”

In 2009 Tbilisi City Hall decided to build a high-speed main. A tender was held on drawing up a project documentation, the winner in which was Ltd “Georgia-road-science”. Last week the winner in the tender organization presented a project to show where the high-speed main is to pass. According to the project the main passes through children’s sports-sanitation city “Mziuri” and adjoining the Zoo territories. The project envisages building 16 meters wide main passing through the forest-park of the Zoo and “Mziuri”.

The project should be considered in two aspects; the first and essential is the ecological problem and the second – perfection of Tbilisi motor transport system. Approved in 1971 general plan of Tbilisi reconstruction and development which had been a guiding principle for 30 years in the transport complex scheme such highway had been considered, but up to the present no one has dared to build a transport main in the forest-park, for ecological loss is far more worthy than the mentioned highway. In recent years this territory was granted to children’s city “Mziuri”. Children’s attractions and “Mziuri”, along with the Zoo were turned into a zone of landscape architecture and ecological security of the city, which is protected by international convention. The authorities have made a decision to the realization of which not only green tracts of land, the Zoo and “Mziuri” will be sacrificed; the air too will be polluted. The Vere river gorge is one of the principal channels of Tbilisi territory air-ventilation. It may be compared to Tbilisi lungs and its pollution will be equal to ecological disaster. Wouldn’t it be unreasonable from our authority to spend 350 million lari to worsen ecological condition of Tbilisi, as in regard to transport organization, it will have uncertain results. Such projects must be preceded by a research work, which would answer the following questions: to what extent will the new highway relieve Vake-Saburtalo line (analyzed in concrete figures)? ; of what priority is one more lengthwise highway for the perfection of Tbilisi transport system when the city lacks cross-cut connections. As increased in Tbilisi torrents showed us the drain-sewerage system needs urgent rehabilitation and reconstruction. Our request is, according to the third part of the 5th item and the first part of the 601st item of Georgia general administrative code, be declared invalid approved by Tbilisi City Hall above-mentioned construction project as it directly contradicts the general plan confirmed by Tbilisi “Sakrebulo”. The territories where high-speed main is to pass are as we have mentioned children’s sports-sanitation city “Mziuri” and adjoining the Zoo territory.

These territories on their part according to the general plan approved by Tbilisi “Sakrebulo” are included in a recreation zone (r. z. 2), where road building with monolithic and steel concrete constructions is forbidden.
 The above-mentioned construction violates reflected in the 37th item of constitution and in the law about environmental protection human rights: “to live in health safe environment, to enjoy natural and cultural surroundings”. It also contradicts the parliament resolution N1538 dated 1998, July 17 about the protection of landscaped zones, parks and public gardens in human settlements of Georgia. In the same way the mentioned construction contradicts Georgian government resolution #158 as well to arrange in Vake-Saburtalo district a municipal park by joining “Mziuri” and the Zoo territories and to draw up and approve the plan of measures for landscaping the rest of territories.
 Hence, our request is according to the third part of the 5th item, the first part of the 601st item of Georgia general administrative code to declare invalid approved by Tbilisi City Hall above-mentioned project.