Recreation should be enjoyable and safe

With the onset of warm weather, residents and guests of our city and district are drawn to nature, primarily to rivers and lakes, to relax, refresh, and regain strength after working days. Often, while on vacation, they forget about personal property safety measures, rules of conduct on the water, and fire safety rules, which sometimes leads to tragic consequences. Some drink alcohol, light fires in fire-hazardous places, pollute the environment with household waste, engage in illegal logging and poaching, which turns them into offenders.

In the city of Postavy and Postavy district, the district executive committee has designated places permitted for swimming, places where swimming is prohibited, as well as places of mass recreation for citizens, i.e., those where a significant number of citizens gather under certain circumstances.

Places prohibited for swimming include those where it is dangerous due to the bottom relief, current, proximity of any technical structures, and other considerations for people's safety. Thus, by decision of the Postavy District Executive Committee, swimming is prohibited in melioration and technical canals, ponds, dug ponds, water-filled quarries, artificial fire reservoirs, treatment facilities, backwaters, locations of dams, locks, bridges, dikes, and other hydraulic structures. Swimming in these places entails administrative liability under Article 23.63 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses (hereinafter referred to as the Code of Administrative Offenses). For such a violation, a fine of up to three basic units may be imposed.

Places permitted for swimming are beaches and coastal areas of lakes and rivers. To ensure normal recreation and people's safety, they are equipped with shade canopies, changing rooms, garbage containers, and toilets. Before the opening of the swimming season, the bottom of the beach area is mandatory cleared of household waste and other objects that could cause injury to people, with the help of OSVOD divers. Thus, swimming and recreation in such places are safer.

Places of mass recreation for citizens are places with the highest attendance, including during cultural and mass events. In our city and district, these are the city park, the beach of Lake Zadevskoye from the side of Zelenaya Street in Postavy, the beach of Lake Dubok, and the beach of Lake Beloye (most known to our residents as "Ozerki").

However, it should not be forgotten that all recreation areas are public places, and therefore, drinking alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages and beer, consuming narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, as well as appearing in a state of intoxication in these places, entails administrative liability under Article 17.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. If a person is brought to justice for the first time, an administrative penalty in the form of a fine of up to eight basic units may be imposed. If these actions are committed repeatedly, the penalty may increase to 15 basic units, and administrative arrest for up to 15 days may also be applied to the offender.

During the summer period, law enforcement agencies will pay special attention to ensuring public safety and maintaining public order in these places, as violations of elementary rules of conduct or swimming while intoxicated are often the causes of accidents and fatalities.

It also often happens that, carried away by recreation and swimming in cool water on a hot day, people leave their property unattended, including expensive phones, cameras, and other valuables. Unscrupulous people can take advantage of this and steal them. Therefore, do not leave your property unattended, comply with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus and the rules of conduct on the water, and your vacation will be pleasant and safe.

Department of Law Enforcement and Prevention of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Postavy District Executive Committee.