'They didn't warn us': Bolnisi residents oppose mining over environmental fears

Bolnisi Municipality residents oppose mining project

Residents of Georgia’s Bolnisi municipality, most of them ethnic Azerbaijanis, have been protesting for more than a month against unknown works being carried out in a mountainous area. According to Meydan TV, the activity may be connected to a new mining project. Local residents have submitted a collective appeal to the authorities, raising concerns over potential environmental risks.

Bolnisi Municipality is located in Georgia’s south-eastern Kvemo Kartli region, which has a large Azerbaijani-speaking population.

On 10 May, residents from six nearby villages gathered in the village of Darbazi to discuss the situation. They expressed concern that work on the mountain was being carried out without any prior public notification.

According to those at the meeting, neither local authorities nor relevant ministries and state agencies had provided any official information about the project.

Residents say legal requirements and public consultation procedures were ignored. In particular, they argue that the provisions of the Aarhus Convention — which guarantees public participation in environmental decision-making — were not followed.

They also say no licences or permits related to the work in the Darvaz gorge area and nearby villages could be found in open government records. According to residents, this has deepened concerns over a lack of transparency.

A report published by Meydan TV a year ago noted that decades of mining in Bolnisi Municipality had already caused serious environmental damage. In some cases, locals have compared the situation to “ecocide” — the mass destruction of the natural environment.

Residents also point to possible health risks. According to locals, Georgia’s south-eastern Kvemo Kartli region is now among the areas most affected by cancer in the country. They also cite research carried out by German foundations around 16 years ago, which found heavy metals in 15 types of vegetables grown in Bolnisi. Residents believe this may be linked to mining activity in the area.

Following the meeting in the Darvaz gorge, residents prepared a collective statement signed by around 500 people. The document calls for:

• the immediate suspension of what residents describe as незаконные works in the gorge,
• a halt to deforestation,
• the cancellation or review of any existing licences,
• and a ban on future permits for mining or geological exploration in the area.

The appeal was sent to 13 Georgian state institutions, including the president, prime minister and speaker of parliament, as well as the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and other relevant agencies.

So far, there has been no official information about who is carrying out the work in the Darvaz gorge or for what purpose. Local residents are demanding transparency and respect for their right to participate in decisions that could affect the environment..

Bolnisi Municipality residents oppose mining project