Rest should be pleasant 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 areas, pollute the environment with household waste, engage in illegal logging and poaching, which turns them into offenders.
In the territory of Postavy city and Postavy district, the district executive committee has designated areas permitted for swimming, areas where swimming is prohibited, and areas of mass recreation for citizens, i.e., those where a significant number of citizens gather under certain circumstances.
Areas 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-out ponds, flooded quarries, artificial fire reservoirs, treatment facilities, backwaters, locations of dams, locks, bridges, embankments, and other hydraulic structures. Swimming in these places entails administrative responsibility under Article 24.42 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 one to three basic units may be imposed.
Areas permitted for swimming are beaches and coastal areas of lakes and rivers. To ensure normal recreation and people's safety, they are improved, i.e., equipped with sunshades, changing rooms, garbage containers, and toilets. Moreover, before the opening of the swimming season, the bottom of the beach area is obligatorily cleared of household waste and other objects that could cause injury to citizens, with the help of OSVOD divers. Thus, swimming and recreation in such places are safer.
Mass recreation areas for citizens are places with the highest attendance, including during cultural and mass events. In our city and district, these are the Myadelka River beach (city park), Zadevskoye Lake beach from Zelenaya Street in Postavy, Dubok Lake beach, and Beloye Lake beach (most known to our residents as "Ozerki").
However, it should not be forgotten that all recreation areas are public places, and therefore, drinking alcoholic, 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 responsibility under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In the summer period, internal affairs bodies will pay special attention to ensuring public safety and maintaining public order in these places, as violation of elementary rules of conduct or swimming while intoxicated often causes accidents and deaths.
It also often happens that, engrossed in recreation and swimming in cool water on a hot day, people leave their property unattended, including expensive phones, cameras, and other valuables. "Dishonest" 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.
Evgeny Malikov
Deputy Head of the Department for Law Enforcement and Prevention
of Public Security Police of the Postavy District Executive Committee
