Rules of Conduct in Public Recreation Areas. Water Body Safety

Rest should be pleasant and safe.

With the onset of warm weather, residents and guests of our city and district are drawn to nature, and primarily to rivers and lakes, in order to relax, refresh themselves, and recharge after the working week. Often, while on holiday, they forget about personal property safety measures, rules of conduct on water, and fire safety rules, which sometimes leads to tragic consequences. Some consume alcohol, light fires in fire-hazardous areas, pollute the environment with household waste, engage in illegal logging, and poach fish, which turns them into offenders.

Within the territory of the city of Lepel and Lepel district, by decisions of the district executive committee, 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, have been determined.

Places prohibited for swimming include those where it is dangerous to swim due to the bottom relief, current, proximity of any technical structures, and other safety considerations. For example, by a decision of the Lepel District Executive Committee, it is determined that swimming is prohibited in ameliorative and technical canals, ponds, dugouts, flooded quarries, artificial fire reservoirs, sewage treatment facilities, backwaters, locations of dams, locks, bridges, embankments, and other hydraulic structures. Swimming in these places entails administrative liability under Article 24.42 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offences (hereinafter referred to as the Code). A fine of up to three basic units may be imposed for such an offence.

Places permitted for swimming are beaches and coastal areas of lakes and rivers. To ensure normal rest and people's safety, they are improved, i.e. equipped with sunshades, changing rooms, waste containers, and toilets. In addition, before the opening of the swimming season, the bottom of the beach area is cleared of household waste and other objects that could cause injury to people by 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 include the beach

Lepel Lake (Vitebskaya Street), Holy Lake beach (Vera Margevich Street), Bobritsa Lake beach of the Lepel Military Sanatorium, Borovka village, Shchybot Lake beach of the "Zhemchuzhina" Children's Rehabilitation and Health Centre, Borovka village.

However, it should not be forgotten that all recreation areas are public places. Therefore, drinking alcoholic beverages, low-alcohol drinks 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 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO). During the summer period, the internal affairs bodies will pay special attention to ensuring public safety and maintaining public order in these areas, as violations of elementary rules of conduct or swimming while intoxicated are often the cause of accidents and loss of life.

Also, it quite often happens that, carried away by recreation and swimming in cool water on a hot day, people leave their belongings unattended, including expensive phones, cameras and other valuables. "Dishonest" individuals may 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 recreation will be pleasant and safe.

For issues related to law enforcement activities, you can contact the internal affairs department of the Lepel District Executive Committee by calling:

102;

MTS 8-029 – 7102789;

Velcom 8-029 – 3274602.

At the same time, we remind you that in public places

It is prohibited:

to offensively pester citizens and commit other intentional actions that violate public order, the activities of organizations or the peace of citizens and are expressed in clear disrespect for society. Article 19.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the CAO) "Minor hooliganism" entails a fine of 2 to 30 basic units (hereinafter referred to as BU) or administrative arrest, or community service;

to consume low-alcohol or alcoholic beverages, as well as beer, outside places specifically designated for this purpose, or to appear in a public place while intoxicated. Article 19.3 of the CAO "Consumption of alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages or beer, consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues in a public place or appearance in a public place or at work in

in a state of intoxication" shall incur a fine of up to 8 basic units. The same actions, committed repeatedly within a year after the imposition of a penalty for similar violations, shall incur a fine from 2 to 15 basic units, or administrative arrest, or community service. For appearing in a public place or consuming narcotic drugs, a fine from 5 to 10 basic units may be imposed;

swimming in prohibited areas of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and other water bodies. Article 24.42 of the Code of Administrative Offences "Swimming in prohibited areas" shall incur a fine of from 1 to 3 basic units;

polluting and littering water bodies, violating the regime of water protection zones. Article 15.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences "Pollution or littering of waters" shall incur a fine of from 1 to 3 basic units for an individual entrepreneur – up to 25 basic units, and for a legal entity – up to 50 basic units.

In addition, on beaches, it is not permitted:

to enter the water and swim while intoxicated;

to swim beyond buoys and other signs indicating the swimming limits;

to approach vessels (motor, sailing), rowing boats and other watercraft;

to climb on technical and warning signs, buoys and other objects;

to jump into the water from boats, launches, piers, other structures not adapted for these purposes, as well as in places where the depth and bottom condition are unknown;

to use life-saving equipment and gear for unintended purposes;

to swim on boards, sun loungers, logs, inner tubes, inflatable mattresses and other items not complying with the requirements for watercraft;

to organise games in the water involving diving and grabbing swimmers, as well as to allow other actions that may cause an accident;

to give false alarm signals;

to leave young children unattended;

for persons with contagious skin diseases to swim;

to wash linen and bathe animals.

Department of Law Enforcement and Prevention of the Lepel District Executive Committee Police Department.