Tbilisi City Hall Plants 10,000 Plants for Greening Efforts in the Capital

As part of an autumn planting campaign, 10,000 trees of different species, both coniferous and deciduous, will be planted in Tbilisi. Seasonal greening measures began today and will continue through the end of November.

Seedlings waiting to be planted are temporarily being stored in Vake Park. Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi Maia Bitadze and Head of the Environmental Protection Department of City Hall Giga Gigashvili visited the sapling storage point.

Deputy Mayor Bitadze said, "It will be the kind of trees and plants that have been approved by the Sakrebulo [City Assembly], as well as the bushes, decorative shrubs and trees that are prescribed for making Tbilisi green. From October 1 – December 1, more than 97,000 square meters of land will be planted. This is the first step towards fulfilling the promise made to Tbilisi residents, which will continue for years. Such large-scale projects are important for air pollution prevention. Also, to make our city nice, orderly and with as much green spaces as possible.”

The list of species approved by the Sakrebulo was selected by specialists, considering the local landscape of Tbilisi. The list includes potinia, cuisine, acacia, juniper, buzz, ufani, himalaya cedar, Japanese sofora, Japanese cuisine, maple, ordinary yew, decorative trammel (red chilies) and olive trees.

Seedlings will be planted in pre-selected locations across the city. These places are: Medians on Saakadze Square, medians on Balanchini Street, Chavchavadze Avenue, Tskneti Highway, Cholokashvili street, railings on and around Heroes Square, Javakheti Street, the median and surrounding areas of Agladze Street, medians at the crossroads of Tsabadze and Akaki Tsereteli Streets (adjacent to Dinamo stadium), the crossroads of Brothers Asatiani and Bakhtrioni Streets, the median on Tamarashvili Street, and on Pekini Avenue near the National Archives building.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Tbilisi City Hall