Georgia: Four unregistered saws close

Tbilisi: The Employees of the Environmental Supervision Department of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture ordered to close the four unregistered saws. This action we taken within the framework of the fight against illegal logging in December of this year.

These four unregistered saws that have been closed fall in the Samegrelo region, including Abashi, Khobi and Tsalenjikhi municipalities. During the inspection, department employees found that these people had circus-type saw machines in the working yards. In Khobi Municipality, twenty units of unmarked round wood (peacock) and 0.77 cubic meters volume primary processing product (zeli) were placed.

It is to be specifically mentioned that each and every violation of the law has been detected in Adjara, Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kakheti. Citizens in Shuakhevi, Borjomi and Telavi municipalities had illegal circus-type saw equipment installed in Lenturi and Khoni municipalities.

As per the initial information, in total 28 units of beetle and walnut (murkani) species unidentified round wood-forest (peacock) and two cubic meters volume primary processing product (fitzari) were removed from the territories of the Amkrobi.

Because all eight incidents contain criminal offences, materials for the purpose of further action have been sent to the appropriate authorities.

It is worth mentioning that the enforcement department, as well as Employees of the Environmental Supervision Department of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture have launched many drives against illegal wood cutting. These drives aimed to protect the forest cover of the country.

A few days ago the ministry took to its social media to share information in this regard. Here, they stated that “Employees of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture within the framework of the fight against illegal logging, in Samegrelo, the fact of illegal extraction of wood. At the entrance to the forest of Inchkhuri village of Martvili municipality, 53 units of abandoned round trees (peacocks) were found unattended. Department staff prepared relevant documentation.Materials will be sent in the appropriate order”.

It is to be noted that many areas of Georgia have already been declared as protected areas so that nobody could damage the forest of the country. Despite the strict laws and rules, many anti-social elements sometimes violate these rules and regulations.

Now the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, in collaboration with many social, government and government organisations, has started the drive for the protection of forest areas.