The construction company Stolitsa Group has fenced off the shoreline of Lake Nebrezh in Kyiv. Activists describe this as a direct violation of the Land and Water Codes and intend to file an official complaint regarding the offence.
This was reported by veteran and human rights activist Oleg Symoroz on his Facebook page.
Ignored restrictions
The lake covers an area of 47 hectares, which means its protective buffer zone should be 100 metres wide. This is stipulated in Article 60 of the Land Code of Ukraine and Article 88 of the Water Code of Ukraine.
However, according to Oleg Symoroz, the developer Stolitsa Group has erected barriers, blocking public access to the reservoir. The developer did not stop there — the company also dumped sand onto the shoreline, which further restricted access.
Activists point out that such actions constitute a violation of two articles of the Criminal Code:
- Art. 197-1 – unauthorized construction on land occupied without permission, including especially valuable lands or lands of the water fund.
- Art. 239-2 – unlawful seizure of water fund lands on an especially large scale.
“I demand that the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office initiate criminal proceedings and impose an arrest on the developer’s land plot, since its use resulted in the capture of the protective shoreline, grossly violating citizens’ right to free access to water bodies,” – stressed Oleh Symoroz.
Anti-environmental Construction
Additionally, the activist highlights the consequences of the construction of the “H2O” residential complex, which he considers illegal. He claims that the work is leading to the destruction of the Osokorky Meadows nature reserve, which is also against the law.
EcoPolitic previously reported that the Supreme Court of Ukraine rejected the cassation appeal of opponents to the construction of the “H2O” residential complex in the capital’s Osokorky Eco-Park. Stolitsa Group is convinced that this decision by the highest judicial authority confirms the legality of the construction. Meanwhile, activists have stated that they are prepared to go to court again.
Plots with elite real estate in Koncha-Zaspa are also being used to seize shoreline areas. You can read more about this in a separate article.
Currently, two initiatives are underway in Ukraine-parliamentary and governmental-which aim to substantially increase fines for damage to water resources. Violations include riverbed destruction, littering and pollution of water bodies, and fencing off banks.
