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Reinforcing the Zonkari Dam
The OSCE's Conflict Prevention Centre is working on a project at Zonkari dam, which is crumbling after years of tension in the area have prevented essential maintenance.
The OSCE is addressing water problems in the areas affected by the August 2008 conflict in Georgia through a series of projects. One of these projects aims at restoring the capacity to regulate the level of water in the Zonkari reservoir. The infrastructure was under Georgian control until the August 2008 conflict. Since then, it has been operated from Tskhinvali.
Years of tension in the area have prevented essential maintenance. The mechanical parts of the dam do not work as they should, presenting a potential threat to those living downstream.
A view of the service outlet of the Zonkari Dam, 12 July 2011. The right wing of the outlet is damaged and requires urgent repairs.
(OSCE/Emmanuel Anquetil)
Werner Johannides (left), an independent expert from Austria, and Konstantin Predein, a hydro-mechanical engineer, assess the repair work to be done, 12 July 2011.
Predein, from Tbilisi, worked on the design of the mechanical parts of the Zonkari Dam in the mid-1980s. His knowledge of the Dam is crucial for the rehabilitation project and his involvement adds a real confidence-building component to the project. (OSCE/Emmanuel Anquetil)