On July 4, 2020, several hundred people gathered at Station Square in the town of Oni for a protest rally. They were protesting the construction of a planned cascade of hydropower plants on the Rioni River in Upper Racha.

Locals said that the construction of the HPP cascade posed very serious dangers “both for Racha’s nature and for people… several villages might become depopulated, and residents might need to be relocated,” they feared.

“Racha is a seismically active zone. Recently, the strongest earthquake in Georgia—magnitude 7—occurred there. The area where the HPP is planned is not safe. Earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc., are frequent. This information is confirmed by geologists, seismologists, and other specialists,” wrote the movement “No to the Oni Cascade” in a published statement.

Banners read: “No to the Oni Cascade,” “Protect Racha,” “Let’s preserve the ecosystem,” “Racha’s development is in tourism.”

According to the environmental impact report, a two-stage hydropower cascade operating on natural flow was planned on the Rioni River: “Oni 1 HPP” (122.46 MW) and “Oni 2 HPP” (83.7 MW). Each stage of the cascade would include a water intake structure, a derivation/pressure system, and a power unit (the HPP building and substation).

On September 30, 2020, residents of Racha and Lechkhumi who were protesting the construction of large hydropower plants on the Rioni River united and published a joint petition against the Oni and Namakhvani HPPs.

The authors appealed to the Government of Georgia and international organizations, demanding that the projects be stopped, arguing that the construction “threatens not only the Rioni Valley and nature, but also the residents of Racha, Lechkhumi, and Kutaisi, and the sustainable development of the regions.”

After this, opponents of the Oni Cascade began appearing together with the Namakhvani HPP protesters. For example, on December 29, 2020, the united group gathered at Tbilisi City Court. On that day, the court began reviewing a lawsuit filed by “Green Alternative,” requesting that the construction permit for the “Oni Cascade” on the Rioni River be annulled (this permit was the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture’s Order No. N2-256 of March 17, 2020).

According to information published on October 6, 2021, “In 2021, changes were made to the memorandum on the ‘Oni Cascade.’ The project’s technology, location, and PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) terms were modified. The investor presented a completely new project, replacing the old one. Under the new memorandum, the company retained the right for three years to decide whether or not to build the Oni Cascade, but without a PPA.” According to locals, construction had still not begun as of 2025.