Georgia’s Public Defender’s Office has issued a warning, calling on Tbilisi City Hall to investigate the presence of asbestos allegedly found under Rustaveli Avenue during ongoing rehabilitation work.

The agency issued its appeal after pictures of what appears to be asbestos found on Rustaveli Avenue surfaced online on 21 August. Social media user Irakli Pipia said that asbestos was used by the Soviet authorities to construct water pipes under the thoroughfare.

On Thursday, urban and environmental activist Nata Peradze said that samples of the shattered asbestos pipes were collected and are ready to be sent to a laboratory in Berlin. She added that they need to raise funds for the analysis.

The Public Defender of Georgia issued its appeal on Facebook on Thursday.

‘Asbestos is a substance with high health risk and its exposure is related to serious diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. The risk increases sharply during mechanical exposure, cutting, crushing, drilling and removal from the ground.’

‘International standards for asbestos regulation have not been fully implemented in Georgia, technical regulations have not been adopted that would regulate the protection of employees from exposure to asbestos in the workplace’, the agency said.

It also warned that schools located around the avenue will start their classes on 15 September, and that students could potentially be exposed to asbestos.

‘Children are a particularly vulnerable group to asbestos exposure, as their respiratory system is still in the process of formation, and the latent period of asbestos-related diseases lasts for decades.’

The Public Defender called on Tbilisi City hall to determine whether the material found in the renovation area contains asbestos, and to spread awareness about the matter.

In 2019, more than 70,000 people in the EU died from past exposure to asbestos at work.

Authorities have been discussing the renovation of Rustaveli Avenue since 2023. The renovation started in late July, 2026 with authorities saying it is scheduled to be finished in November.

The construction company responsible for the rehabilitation work has been fined four times for failing to adhere to the stipulated work schedule, leading to a total of ₾5,000 ($1,900) in fines.

Rustaveli Avenue has historically been the site of numerous mass protests and clashes between protesters and riot police.