Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, who was at the epicenter of the events on the night of July 21, stated that every time an abnormally large amount of precipitation falls in a very short period, similar flooding occurs not only in Tbilisi, but also in many major European cities — including countries that are economically much stronger than Georgia.
Speaking about the consequences of the heavy rain in Tbilisi, the mayor noted that during road reconstruction, the city hall primarily focuses on modernizing storm sewers and underground utility networks.
He pointed out that some people use every heavy downpour as an excuse for political speculation.
“Yesterday’s heavy rain created problems in certain neighborhoods and on several streets of the capital. Clean-up operations were carried out on specific streets and avenues all night, and they are still ongoing to restore order to urban areas.
When an unusually large amount of precipitation falls in a short period of time, such incidents occur not only in Tbilisi. We observe this in many major European cities, in more developed countries and capitals with modern infrastructure. Even there, heavy rainfall over a short period puts a serious strain on urban systems.
This does not mean that there are no problems in Tbilisi or that we should not address them. On the contrary, this is precisely why since 2017, when starting road reconstruction, we first upgrade underground utilities, build modern storm drainage systems, and only then proceed to repair the road surface,” the city’s head stated.
Kaladze recalled that in previous years, roads were often repaired superficially, whereas today, during the reconstruction of every major street or avenue, according to him, the first stage is the modernization of the entire underground infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, for many years, practically nothing was done in this direction, so now we have to address problems that have accumulated over the years. But there is no reason for alarm. Gradually, all problems will be solved. Unfortunately, for some people, every heavy rain becomes an occasion for political speculation. Our task is not to engage in disputes, but to resolve problems in a timely manner and build infrastructure that will make the city even more resilient in the future,” the Mayor of Tbilisi stated.
