site.btaRegional Development Minister Reports 370 Violations at Construction Sites Near Rivers, Flood-Prone Areas

A total of 370 violations were identified during 400 inspections of construction sites located near rivers, riverbeds and flood-prone areas across the country, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov said at a briefing after the Cabinet’s regular meeting on Wednesday. 

Only about 30 of the inspected sites showed no violations, while the rest revealed various discrepancies with the Spatial Development Act and the Water Act, he said. Some structures were built over covered riverbeds, others over gullies that had not been properly recorded in the cadastral maps. Cases of construction carried out without the required documentation were also identified, the Minister added.

Ivanov stressed that many of the sites had been authorized based on detailed development plans that had not been coordinated with the basin directorates or the regional environment and water inspectorates. According to him, this had resulted in incorrect determination of the boundaries of water bodies and, in some instances, discrepancies between cadastral boundaries and actual terrain conditions.

After the October 3 deadly flooding in the Elenite resort, which severely damaged infrastructure and claimed four lives, the authorities initiated inspections along the entire Black Sea coast to identify any construction on ravines and riverbeds. On November 18, Environment and Water Minister Manol Genov said that less than half of the water facilities inspected along the Black Sea coast are compliant with regulations and one-third of them violated legal requirements.