Gigla Tamazashvili Highlights Major 2026 Irrigation and Reservoir Projects, GEL 83 Million Allocated for Infrastructure Rehabilitation

The General Director of LLC “Georgian Amelioration,” under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Gigla Tamazashvili, also spoke about the key projects planned for implementation in 2026.

“The foundation has been laid for the construction of two reservoirs — one is the Ilto Reservoir, for which the pre-design study has already been completed, and the second is the Lakbe Reservoir, which will undergo rehabilitation and modernization. In addition, in 2026 the construction of a water diversion structure is planned in the city of Poti, which will protect the city from flooding. I would like to note that Southern Georgia remains a challenge for the company, where we plan to restore and build melioration systems. Currently, the irrigated area in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region amounts to up to 3,700 hectares; as a result of large-scale rehabilitation, it is planned to increase this to 12,000 hectares,” stated Gigla Tamazashvili.

The General Director also spoke about the importance of the climate-smart irrigation project and noted that the Asian Development Bank is implementing a significant project in this direction. It is essential for farmers to use proper irrigation schemes in order to ensure the rational use of water resources.

“If we want to have more irrigated land, after signing contracts we must guarantee the delivery of irrigation water to farmers and maintain permanent reserves. It is welcome that, with the support of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Government, approximately GEL 83 million has been allocated for the rehabilitation of melioration infrastructure in 2026. Such an approach and support toward the sector will play a transformative role in the company’s development, and service quality will be significantly improved compared to previous years,” noted Gigla Tamazashvili.