Hydropower plants with existing memorandums should not be included within protected areas, Environment Committee Chair Maia Bitadze stated during a parliamentary committee hearing. Her comments came in response to a question from opposition MP Vika Pilpani regarding whether three planned HPPs in the Lugela and Bukheri gorges would fall inside the proposed boundaries of the new Egrisi National Park.
At the session, Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Zurab Ezugbaia presented amendments to the draft law on establishing and managing the Egrisi National Park. Pilpani asked whether the ministry had communicated with the HPP project developers and whether any of the planned sites overlapped with the protected area’s territory.
Ezugbaia replied that the project was coordinated with the Ministry of Economy and that no special reservations were required regarding HPPs during the preparation of the draft. He added that if future public or state interests require adjustments, boundary changes or exclusions could be considered separately.
Committee Chair Maia Bitadze emphasized that the committee consistently ensures protected areas do not include non-typical or pre-agreed infrastructure projects. She noted that if any coordinates require correction before the second reading, the committee is ready to address them so that memorandums for potential HPPs do not overlap with protected areas.
The discussion concluded with the Deputy Minister reaffirming the ministry’s readiness to review any additional information provided on the issue.
