New mudflow hits Georgian village as rainy season reveals poor assessment of hydropower plans

As rains cause mudflows in Georgia’s mountains, locals from different regions unite to protest hydropower developments in geologically unstable areas.

In the night of June 30, strong mudflow hit the village of Nakra in Upper Svaneti, in Georgia’s Caucasus mountains, damaging several properties and destroying two bridges. Caused by torrential rains the mudflow from the Lekvedari river brought large amounts of silt and stones close to the village center.

The natural catastrophe occurred at a time when geological surveys are underway for the construction of a tunnel and a 13m high dam to derivate water from the Nakra river to the planned Nenskra dam about 4 km upstream of the village. 

The blog has been published on the website of the CEE Bankwatch network