Georgia’s Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze visited the disaster-affected area in Telavi, where he inspected the ongoing response and recovery operations on site. According to the ministry, the minister also participated in a meeting of the operational headquarters together with government members, members of parliament, representatives of local authorities, and relevant agencies.

According to the minister, around 100 units of specialized equipment from the Roads Department have been mobilized to eliminate the consequences of the disaster. Cleanup and preventive works are being carried out both in the city and in the direction of the headwaters of the ravines.

“Both cleanup and preventive works are actively underway. Approximately 100 units of equipment have been mobilized on site. We also visited the headwaters of the ravines, where cleaning works are in progress. At the meeting of the operational headquarters, we discussed both issues that need to be addressed in the coming days and measures that should be implemented in the long term. The Government of Georgia will do everything possible to eliminate the consequences of the disaster as soon as possible and, at the same time, plan preventive measures that will help reduce similar risks in the future,” Revaz Sokhadze said.

The minister also responded to reports regarding dams, stating that information claiming they were malfunctioning is not true.

According to him, rehabilitation works on the dams were last carried out in 2022, and they performed their function during the current disaster. The minister said that specialists will conduct a detailed study of the causes of the disaster in the coming days; however, based on the information currently available, the processes that occurred are not related to the condition of the dams.

Revaz Sokhadze said that the operational headquarters will discuss all important issues related to the disaster, including circumstances that require additional study and appropriate decisions. The minister also noted that the state will respond in any case if violations of the law or circumstances posing a threat to citizens’ safety are identified.