Residents of the Abkhaz village complained about the stench from the landfill.
Residents of the village of Alakhadzy are facing problems due to the strong smell from the nearby landfill, the villagers reported. The burning of waste and the pollution of water sources pose health risks to people, confirmed an ecologist.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 27, it became known that residents of the village of Alakhadzy in the Gagra district blocked the road to the landfill to prevent further waste deliveries. Officials and law enforcement arrived at the scene. Villagers complained about unsanitary conditions due to constant smoke from fires at the landfill and the strong unpleasant smell.
Residents of Abkhazia periodically complain about unsanitary conditions due to landfills. For example, in June 2024, residents of the village of Shashikuara complained that the smell from the landfill bothers them, and due to the lack of fencing, livestock grazes right on the dump. They pointed out that the authorities of Abkhazia have been limiting themselves to promises to remove the landfill for several years in response to their appeals.
Residents of the village of Alakhadzy told a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" about the problems caused by the landfill located near the settlement.
If the wind blows our way, we smell the terrible stench.
Thus, a resident of the village Karina noted that a strong smell from the landfill spreads throughout the village. "If the wind blows our way, we smell the terrible stench – this is the main inconvenience. Moreover, it is simply ugly and unaesthetic, especially since houses and hotels for tourists are not far from this place," she said.
A resident of the village Norik also named the main problem as the "bad smell" from the landfill. "It’s not there now, but only because it’s raining, which has extinguished the fire," he said on October 29.
Another resident of the village, who requested not to publish his name, also noted that he is concerned about the strong smell. Villager Marina was the only one surveyed who stated that the smell "absolutely does not bother her".
At the same time, the villagers mainly found it difficult to suggest what should be done to stop the landfill from bothering the residents of Alakhadzy.
Thus, Marina stated that this issue "should be handled by competent people." According to Karina, the most she can offer is to sign a petition, "and the rest should be decided by professionals."
A resident of the village, speaking on condition of anonymity, also admitted that he does not know what specifically needs to be done with the landfill. For his part, Norik skeptically noted that the landfill needs to be relocated, but the authorities "promised to remove it – and they do not remove it."
The landfill for household waste in the village of Alakhadzy appeared in the late 1950s, and it accepts garbage from the entire western part of Abkhazia, reported Sputnik on July 15, 2026. President Badra Gunba acknowledged that the situation with the landfill, where fires periodically occur, prevents residents of the Gagra district from living comfortably. "It will take us about two and a half years to not completely solve this problem, but at least find a new place where we could process the waste that appears in the area at a different level," the publication quoted him as saying.
The main problem of living near the landfill is the spontaneous combustion of huge masses of waste, which occurs quite often, commented an employee of the Institute of Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia Timur Strochen.
"Burning plastic produces toxic smoke that people breathe. Plus, there is pollution of sources. Moreover, they are karst, so the pollution occurs faster," he told a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".
According to the ecologist, with further operation of the landfill, the risks of pollution will increase, and in addition, the landfill will "go beyond its limits." "To assess the actual pollution of water, air, and soil, studies need to be conducted – samples of water, air, and soil need to be taken and analyzed for contamination. Moreover, sampling is done both in the sanitary protection zone and outside of it," he noted.
The director of the Institute of Ecology of the Academy of Sciences, Roman Dbar, stated in September at a meeting in the Public Chamber of Abkhazia that closing landfills without creating alternatives will not solve the problem and contributes to the emergence of illegal dumps. The deputy head of the Gagra district administration, Adamur Tsishba, reported at the same meeting that the landfill in the village of Alakhadzy has practically exhausted its resources – there will be enough space there for "a maximum of one or two years." According to the official, more than a thousand cubic meters of waste are delivered there daily, while the thickness of the layer of garbage along with the soil has already reached 15 meters. To extinguish fires and control the situation at the landfill, a well was drilled, a reservoir was arranged, and pipes for pumps were laid. However, even after covering problematic areas with soil, smoke continued to seep out for another whole year. "Processes of combustion continue inside," Tsishba noted. According to meeting participants, the area of the landfill is about 22 hectares, with a total capacity of 8.8 million cubic meters, reported "Abkhazia-Inform" on September 11, 2026.
Timur Strochen supported the opinion of his supervisor Roman Dbar that closing the landfill without creating an alternative site could lead to the emergence of illegal dumps.
Each district should have its own landfill with plastic recycling.
"Yes, that’s true – if the landfill is simply closed, dumps will arise that will be very expensive to clean up. But the problem with further actions is that discussions are still ongoing about how best to solve this issue, and there is no ideal solution. My position is that each district should have its own landfill with plastic recycling, which makes up to 50% of all waste. The other thing is that in Abkhazia, they have not even gone through the stage of landfills yet, and it is too early to talk about recycling as a reality. For now, discussions are underway about building a new landfill, but which place will be chosen is unknown," he said.
Let us remind you that the problem with landfills in Abkhazia has been relevant for a long time. For example, in December 2018, at a rally in Sukhum, residents of the Mayak microdistrict protested against the operation of the local landfill, which forced the authorities to begin modernizing the solid waste landfill. On April 2, 2019, the leader of the initiative group to close the Sukhum landfill was detained, but after protests from citizens, he was released. On April 4, local residents blocked the road for garbage trucks to the landfill. After that, the president of Abkhazia promised at a meeting with the protesters to build a new landfill.