DRR WGs Respond in Emergency
The heavy rain and strong wind in Ajara last week saw the DRRWG hotlines have been flooded with calls in Kobuleti, Khelvachauri, Keda, Shuakhevi and Khulo municipalities. From Wednesday morning till Saturday night (November 11th-14th), the Government of Ajara and all five municipalities declared a state of emergency and announced the DRR WG hotline number on Ajara TV and online for the farmers seeking help. Municipal DRR WG members, along with a geologist and a representative from the Road Department, formed emergency response groups in each municipality to immediately respond to calls. Municipalities received up to 200 calls and were able to promptly report on the number of landslides and other instances of natural disaster, as well as the number of households and villages affected. This enabled them to respond on-time, save lives and calculate approximate amount of economic damage caused.
“We had to work in very difficult conditions, as the electricity was cut off and our mobile phones didn’t work, so the only form of communication we had was the “MagtiFix” hotline number. Continuous calls were received. The weather worsened during the night and in such circumstances we could not leave the people without help. We went to affected villages with the DRR WG pick-up car. We carried the “MagtiFix” with us in our car” - Nodar Mikeladze, the Head of the Working Group of Khulo Municipality.
