The Lapankuri village residents in Telavi Municipality oppose the intended construction of a 5.9 MW hydropower plant on the Lopota River. Locals set up a tent by the Lopota river to monitor the situation as soon as they have learnt about the construction company Artana Lopota HPP planning to deploy appropriate equipment in the gorge.

Lapankuri residents say that the planned HPP construction in seven kilometres from the village will harm the environment and leave the locals without drinking and irrigation waters.

“Red-listed species of trees, Tela and Lapan, will be destroyed, and migration will intensify. It is a small village if we stay without water, it means we will have to move. We understand well what energy independence means, but we will not allow the hydropower plant construction in our gorge, which has creeping rocks and is not waterlogged,” said local Ketevan Khornauli.

Locals met with company representatives and experts at the Telavi Municipality City Hall in 2019. The experts should have provided relevant findings to locals and carry additional research. However, Lapankuri residents claim no more communication with the constructor company occurred since 2019.