Locals of Lapankhuri village in Telavi Municipality, eastern Georgia, rally at Lopota Lake in solidarity with anti-Namakhvani HPP protesters.

The protesters claim they are well aware of the threats the HPPs could pose to the country.

“A new 5.9 megawatt HPP construction is planned at Lopota as well. A whole village is against it. We will not greenlight them to build it,” a rally organizer, Ketevan Khornauli, said.

Khornauli admits the possibility of physical resistance if special equipment arrives to kick off the construction.

Lapankuri protesters have been on round-the-clock shifts in a tent for more than a month.

Tensions went high in western Georgia. Rioni Gorge residents protest the construction of Namakhvani HPP by Turkish company ENKA. Anti-HPP activists are concerned about the HPP construction could harm the environment.