Eka Sepashvili, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, accompanied by Ioseb Ozashvili, Director of "State Construction Company", Ltd. surveyed bank protection works on river Bzhuzha in village Shemokmedi.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, "State Construction Company", Ltd. is implementing bank protection project on river Bzhuzha, the overflowing of which resulted in GEL 3 million worth of damages to the local infrastructure and the population.

At the moment, in one part of the river, a 594-meter-long and 7-meter-high reinforced concrete protective wall has been constructed; in another part of the river, construction of a 170-meter-long and 8.5-meter-high reinforced concrete protective wall has been completed. The Company is now constructing an 8-meter-high reinforced concrete protective wall on a 200-meter-long section of the river.

Disaster aftermath liquidation and Bzhuzha bank protection works also included construction of a 100-meter-long linear gabion and laying of 540 cubic meters of asphalt on the section of the road affected by the flood. Additionally, the river-bed of Bzhuzha has been cleaned, widened and deepened; several temporary dams were constructed to withhold water.

The Ozurgeti-Shemokmedi-Bzhuzhhesi-Gomismta central motor road is used by 7 villages in Guria and their guests. These villages are: Shemokmedi, Kviriketi, Tsitelmta, Gonebiskari, Gomi, Bokhvauri, and Gomismta resort. On holiday season, 20 percent of Ozurgeti population visits Gomismta. After completion of bank protection works, travelling across this road will be safe for them even during heavy rains.

The state budget allocated over GEL 7 million for disaster aftermath liquidation in Guria and bank protection works on Bzhuzha. There are 45 people employed at the site, mostly local residents. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.