“Gavigudet” Met with Representatives of the Rustavi Municipality City Council
“Gavigudet” Met with Representatives of the Rustavi Municipality City Council
Today, on December 19, “Gavigudet” met with representatives of the Rustavi Municipality City Council. The purpose of the meeting was to review the present situation of the air pollution issue and to discuss measures to be taken at the local level.
Within the framework our team gave a detailed presentation to the City Council on the impacts of pollution on the environment and human health. We also discussed the characteristics of the main pollutants in Rustavi, accomplishments and challenges, as well as the economic cost of air pollution. In addition, in the form of a table, we have presented information about the schedule for the installation of the self-monitoring system of the regulatory facilities operating in Rustavi, which have this obligation according to the legislation, from June 1, 2021, and the majority of which are not yet included in the Ministry’s unified electronic database.
Additionally, we offered opportunities and options for active participation, such as attending public reviews of technical documents from enterprises, monitoring the implementation of the air quality improvement action plan, taking part in the development of the central zone ambient air quality plan, and exchanging ideas.
– The City Council members expressed their willingness and readiness to work together and shared their ideas for cooperation. They expressed their commitment, for instance, to appoint a member of the City Council who will work with us and with whom we would maintain regular communication in order to exchange information.
-The idea of establishing an ecological forum was suggested, with participation from all interested parties, including the municipality, business representatives, the civil movement “Gavigudet,” and the city council. The objective of this group will be to present a long-term strategy with specific actions to address the issue of air pollution in the city. On our end, we provided the informational resources that our team possessed on this topic.
– An opinion was also expressed regarding the division of City Council members into working groups, which, based on the relevant delegation, will be responsible for controlling the implementation of the activities outlined in the action plan, informing the public, and participating in the review of the technical documents of the enterprises.
We are pleased that today’s discussion was fruitful; members of the municipal council themselves remarked that they acquired valuable information about the air pollution problem from us. The discussion emphasized the importance of prescribing specific measures and activities at the local level, as well as the urgency of initiating these processes given the severity of the situation.
We hope that effective coordination with the City Council will continue, and that the ideas expressed at today’s meeting will be turned into action on the basis of more effective and defined goals and measures.