Water safety

Unfavorable weather conditions that set in with the onset of summer, caused by abnormally high air temperatures, have led to a seasonal increase in the number of drowning deaths in the region, including children. In June alone, 30 people died in the region's waters. Since the beginning of the current year, a total of 46 citizens have died from drowning in the region, 17 of whom were intoxicated. The number of children who drowned increased from 3 to 5.

Previously, prosecutors in all regions of the oblast were instructed to conduct continuous monitoring of the situation related to deaths on the water, and to analyze the readiness of preventive entities to fulfill the set tasks and assigned functions. A similar monitoring and inspection was carried out in the Gluboksky district.

The purpose of the inspection was to analyze the organization and quality of analytical work in local executive and administrative bodies on ensuring the safety of beach use and recreational areas near water, to assess the quality and effectiveness of measures taken to ensure the protection of citizens' lives and health on the water, to organize awareness-raising activities among the population, to ensure that the district organization of OSVOD is provided with the necessary forces and means for protecting lives on the water, the sanitary condition of bathing areas, and the effectiveness of work to ensure public order, personal property, and public safety in places of mass recreation for citizens.

As part of the raid group, together with representatives of the district OSVOD and ROChS, the most popular water recreation areas in the Gluboksky district were visited and inspected. In addition, the organization of the work of the departmental rescue post on the territory of a recreation center on one of the water bodies used by the organization was checked.

Based on the results of the inspection activities, along with violations of water use rules by citizens in places that do not have beach status, a formal approach by local authorities and administration to the implementation

of the Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus of March 11, 2004 No. 1 "On Measures to Strengthen Public Safety and Discipline".

Based on the results of ongoing inspections and monitoring, an insufficient level of interaction between the Internal Affairs Bodies and the OSVOD units in ensuring public order in places of mass recreation for citizens has been established.

Inspections have shown that to date, most of the water bodies visited by the population, where incidents are most frequently recorded, do not have the official status of recreation areas and, as a consequence, equipped beaches and rescue stations. In all cases, the bottom of the water bodies used by the population for swimming has not been cleared before the start of the swimming season. The absence in some cases of equipment for cooking on fire (grills), changing rooms, sunshades, toilets, untimely garbage removal and grass cutting, the absence of restrictive and warning signs and markings, also caused a number of complaints regarding the sanitary and hygienic condition of bathing areas.

The issue of citizens' safety on the water has been taken under special control by the regional prosecutor's office.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the Region
Irina Shestopalova