Ecologists: Grushevoy Ridge near Sochi still under threat

Even now, 2.5 months after the meeting of Vladimir Putin, now the chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, with members of ecological organizations, the acuteness of the problem to preserve the Grushevoy Ridge near Sochi has been softened a little, but not eliminated, ecologists assert.

The members of the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus are warning that the broad-scale development of this natural territory under the preparation programme for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi is still in plans.

"The key problem is that they still plan to place the biathlon complex on the Grushevoy Ridge," explains Andrei Rudomakha, coordinator of the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus, "although the recommendation not to build anything on the Grushevoy Ridge was given by such authoritative international organizations like the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNESCO and IUPN (International Union for the Protection of Nature)."

The coordinator reminds that it has become possible after on demand of public organizations the object of the World Natural Heritage named "Western Caucasus" was nearly included into the list "World Heritage in Danger!" which could entail complete disruption of Olympiad-2014 in Sochi. Therefore, Vladimir Putin made a decision to relocate the sledge-bobsleigh track and the Mountain Olympic Villages away from the Grushevoy Ridge.

As to the biathlon complex, it was just displaced insignificantly - from the crest section of the Grushevoy Ridge to its western section, as the head of the Ecological Watch asserts. In his opinion, this relocation has lowered the level of ecological threats, since now they no longer touch the protective zone of the Caucasian Reserve. However, the problem with ensuring the integrity of the ecological systems of the Grushevoy Ridge remains.