TBILISI, September 12 – Georgia’s seaside resort city of Batumi is booming, but locals say the growth has turned daily life into chaos.
Once known as a quiet Black Sea town, Batumi is now packed with high-rise towers, hotels, and restaurants, and residents complain that the city can no longer keep up.
“Moving around is practically impossible, the ecological situation is very bad, and pollution is visible,” said engineer Giorgi Shvangiradze in comments to Rezonansi newspaper. He argued that if Batumi is not “unloaded,” living conditions will only get worse.
Traffic jams are constant. Cars park in several rows, blocking streets. The city’s storm drainage system is so poor that every rainfall floods the streets, carrying trash into the sea. Shvangiradze warned this leads to repeated outbreaks of disease each summer.
Sociologist Paata Aroshidze noted that the problems are not limited to summer. He said Batumi has become not just a resort but also one of the Black Sea’s major business centers, with foreign visitors coming year-round. That keeps pressure high on housing, roads, and basic goods. “Seasonal fruit in Batumi is more expensive than in other cities,” Aroshidze said, adding that higher costs hit residents hardest.
Real estate agency director Nikoloz Urushadze described Batumi as slowly turning into “a hell” for its longtime population. He said the city doubled in size following the influx of migrants during the war in Ukraine, creating extreme density. To meet demand, authorities allowed building coefficients to rise, which fueled more construction and “a complete transport collapse.”
