A Million at Risk As Georgian Floods Loom

More than a million Georgians could be evacuated after being told they are at risk from catastrophic flooding, landslides and mud flows, says the country's chief environmental adviser.

Geologists and other experts are examining mountainsides and river valleys so people in disaster-prone areas can be evacuated in time. The homes of 400,000 families in 3,000 settlements are at risk, says Emi Tsereteli, of the State University of Georgia, head of the environment ministry emergency taskforce. He blamed Georgia's worsening problems on climate change and man-made factors such as illegal logging on steep mountainsides.

What Prof Tsereteli fears most, however, are the heavy rains, which have caused serious flooding across much of central Europe, falling on the snow-covered Caucasus mountains to the north. The spring snow melt in Georgia is also expected within two weeks.

Typical of precautions is the emptying of the Zahesi hydro-electric dam 45 miles north of the capital, Tbilisi, to manage floodwaters on the Aragvi river. An emergency committee advised the move to prevent floodwater spilling over the dam and wrecking the power station below. Even so, homes on the riverbanks upstream are expected to be damaged or swept away by the spring floods.

"Mud flows, landslides, flooding and other gravitational processes are costing Georgia at least $150m (£85m) a year in damage, and it could easily reach as much as $1bn," the professor said.

The situation was particularly bad now because of heavy winter snow. "As soon as the temperature rises the snow will melt. If it rains at the same time then the floods and subsequent landslides would be very serious."

Over the past 30 years, he said, 50,000 families had been relocated due to environmental disasters but every year Georgia faces a worse situation, he said.

A major fear is mudslides, caused by melting glaciers which have cut deep into the hillside, as happened on the Russian side of the Caucasus when the Kolka glacier collapsed in September 2002. The resultant avalanche of ice, snow and rocks travelled 8 miles, swallowing the village of Nizhny Karmadon and killing 125.

Prof Tsereteli said the highway running north through the mountains to Russia could be cut by landslides, along with a vital gas pipeline. The annual Aragvi river flood is expected on April 15, said Emzar Chachkhiani, technical director at the Zhinvali dam. He said the Zahesi dam had already been half-emptied.

European deluge

· Troops and firefighters tried to shore up dams in north-east Austria yesterday. Hundreds of homes have been flooded across Lower Austria province, north-east of Vienna, and more than 1,000 people have fled.

· In the Czech Republic, water levels were falling slowly, but more rain is forecast. Hrensko, near Germany, was flooded and sealed off.

· In Hungary, waters were receding along the Danube. Some 6,500 flood specialists and volunteers were boosting defences. In Budapest, the Danube reached an all-time high of 8.6 metres (28ft).

Associated Press