Wrongly issued construction permits worsened impact of Telavi disaster, PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said construction permits for several commercial facilities in Telavi had been wrongly issued and contributed to worsening the impact of the recent natural disaster in the city.

Speaking at a briefing, Kobakhidze said the Infrastructure, Regional Development, Agriculture and Interior ministries, along with the emergency services, had been actively involved in the disaster response.

He thanked the agencies involved and said their coordinated work had enabled authorities to clear Telavi of the consequences of the disaster as quickly as possible, adding that recovery efforts would continue.

Asked whether chaotic construction had contributed to the situation, Kobakhidze said several permits had, in his view, been improperly issued.

"The permits were wrongly issued for several commercial facilities, which worsened the problem," Kobakhidze said.

He added that the relevant authorities would determine whether the permits had been issued unlawfully and identify those responsible.

The prime minister said measures would be taken to better protect Telavi and other cities from similar events in the future.

Asked whether warning systems would be installed in particularly high-risk areas, Kobakhidze said the process was already actively underway across all regions of Georgia and had intensified over the past two years.