On September 13-15, 2017, Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili met with residents of the villages of Imereti and Racha regions of Georgia. There are no roads, drinking water supply, irrigation system, natural gas, ambulatory center, village doctors or pharmacy shop in some of the villages. In Sachkhere, about ten families affected by the earthquake of the 90s still live under unbearable conditions in vans.

Due to severe infrastructural and social conditions, the village of Zedubani has been abandoned by young people. The building of a school that was closed a few years ago has now been fully ruined. The population demands the status of high mountainous village and expresses dissatisfaction over the massive cancellation of social status.

The Tkibuli population also has social problems. The miners' city is still talking about ecology. The population asks the Government to help in cleaning up the area of secondary coal waste. Employees of a library complained about low salary, which cannot meet even the minimum consumer basket.

The Public Defender spoke about the amendments to be made to the legislation in the direction of labour safety, as well as the campaign Make Labour Safe launched by the Public Defender's Office.

The Public Defender visited a single person with disabilities in Ambrolauri, who has problems with movement and sight. In the current year he has been deprived of social assistance.

Residents of Racha villages in Ghvardia, Zemo Bari, Sori, Urava and Likheti have problems of wood cutting, poor infrastructure and social hardship. Residents of high mountainous villages say they cannot cut and transport firewood due to the absence of roads. According to them, representatives of the forest agency several times refused to build a road necessary for reaching woods.

The locals say the clearing of chemical wastes in the area of the arsenic factory in the village of Uravi, which was closed decades ago, has just begun.

Migration is high due to the lack of roads, poor infrastructure and hardship. No births have been reported in some villages for more than 20 years. Schools and kindergartens have been closed down.

According to the Public Defender, the benefits of the mountain law cannot stop migration and additional programs are needed.

The Public Defender discussed the challenges of the region with Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti Governor Archil Japaridze and got information about the planned projects from him.