MP, mayor, and president to decide fate of Abkhazia's public toilet
Public toilet scandal in Abkhazia
Construction of a public toilet in Sukhum, Abkhazia, has sparked controversy involving residents, officials, MPs, and even the president.
The local council initiated the project, but most residents only learned about it after work had begun.
The toilet is planned for “New District,” a residential area with around 5,000 people, adjacent to a large park. The park, which serves both children and the elderly, was deemed in need of such facilities by local authorities.
Eduard Khashba, head of the local housing authority, explained that the new toilet will address residents’ requests for a convenient restroom option in the park.
- Abkhazia’s landfill dilemma: Clean-up in four months or four years?
- Buildings empty, people in line – on the housing crisis in Abkhazia
Poor location
Residents argue that the toilet’s proposed location by the roadside, near homes and a grocery store, is unsuitable.
Timur Kvekveskiri, a local resident, suggests relocating it to a more convenient spot: “The distance from the sidewalk to the toilet is very small. It could be moved to a better location, such as behind the grocery store or at the end of the park, where it would be more logical.”
Sharizan Tsvizhba, a resident of the same high-rise, agrees that the New District needs a public toilet but objects to the chosen location. She is puzzled as to why authorities are addressing this issue rather than more pressing problems in the neighborhood.
“First, we need to focus on the children’s playground. The toilet is secondary. Yes, it can be built, but elsewhere,” Sharizan says.
The decision to build the toilet was not made voluntarily by the local housing administration but followed intervention from Abkhazia’s higher authorities. Initially, the New District elders council requested the president’s approval, which was then passed down to the housing administration, prompting the construction to begin.
Price of cleanliness
Eduard Khashba insists the new toilet will be so popular that the entrance fee will cover its upkeep:
“The fee will be around 10 rubles (about $0.11). This will ensure cleanliness and order. Any issues will be addressed as they arise.”
However, the New District faces sewerage problems, with wastewater frequently overflowing during heavy rains due to leaky pipes. According to the local administration, this issue will not affect the new toilet.
Parliamentary intervention
The issue has also attracted the attention of Abkhazian MP Astamur Gerkhelia, who met with New District residents to help select a more suitable location for the public toilet.
Gerkhelia argues that the toilet should be part of the neighborhood’s improvement, a project he champions since becoming a deputy and advocating for local interests. He claims to be the only one who can negotiate with the president and prime minister to address the residents’ concerns, including the contentious toilet location.
However, during discussions, it emerged that parts of the park are claimed as private property, which, though technically illegal, could complicate relocating the toilet.
Currently, construction is on hold pending a decision from Sukhum’s mayor, Beslan Eshba, who is away on business.
Terms, place names, opinions and ideas suggested by the author of the publication are her / his own and do not necessarily coincide with the opinions and ideas of JAMnews or its individual employees. JAMnews reserves the right to remove comments on posts that are deemed offensive, threatening, violent or otherwise ethically unacceptable.
