Water plays a unique role as a substance that defines the possibility of existence and the very life of all beings on Earth (Wikipedia).
Moldova is not an exception either. True water is in our country, as in an old Russian fairy tale: "living" and "dead". At home, we use «живую», and we can use it. With «dead» water it is much more complicated: it is located in our rivers and lakes. You can't drink it, you can't water cattle, you can't breed birds and you can't catch fish either. However, some manage to swim in this "dead" water. A lot of these daredevils. Maybe they don't know that it is forbidden to swim in the 99% water bodies of Moldova? And maybe they just don't realize the real danger to their health? Let's understand.
During the summer season, public health centers conduct analyzes and send orders to local authorities to prohibit swimming and fishing. The local authorities issue written orders and install special warning signs on the beaches, information about the introduced prohibitions is distributed in the media. Winter is much more complicated. Water in rivers and lakes does not become cleaner at this time of the year. As she was "very dirty" or, in the best case, "contaminated", that's how she stayed. Yes, in the winter period, the population in Moldova does not swim, as it swims in the summer, however, I am only interested in one day - January 19.
In Moldova, a huge number of citizens support the national tradition of Christian baths. Это ХХ ПРАВО. After a long search, I did not find a single warning in the media about the prohibition of swimming in open water on this day. Хочу напомнить: the population's right to a safe, healthy rest provides the STATE'S OBLIGATION to provide everyone who wishes with the opportunity to swim in clean water that day.
Paradox in the friend. In the absence of "winter" prohibitions, the free niche is immediately filled by separate media with articles written "on the theme of Christian baths". I am especially struck by their statements, I quote: «water takes on special properties on the night of January 18th and 19th... Moreover, it is considered that the liquid becomes healing regardless of the source». And here is another, no less interesting: «and since the water is holy everywhere on this day, you can swim anywhere». In Chisinau, last year, lakes were "advertised" in the parks "Dolina Rose", "Valya Morilor" and "Gidigich".
Before preparing this article, I again went to Gagauzia, where I talked with local residents. Baptismal baths for Gagauz people are something more than a modern and fashionable folk tradition. Так делали их деды и педеды. They did so, because there flowed clean "living" water, not sewage. Today, their descendants annually bathe in lakes and reservoirs. Комрат, Бешалмы, Конгаз, Тараклия. They bathe also in other water bodies of Gagauzia, the water in which is no cleaner than in these. The most terrible thing is that the residents of Gagauzia know that the water is dirty: "microbes die in winter", "you need to get in quickly and get out quickly" - they are confident! Why does it happen that the population ignores real risks for their health? Why do local authorities not prevent citizens from swimming in sewage?
Probably, I have correct answers. First: because the authorities disgustingly organize explanatory work, and secondly: because they believe that a written order to stop swimming and install warning signs will be sufficient!
No, if resting on the beach and swimming in the water are prohibited, and people come there – then the explanatory work was insufficient! If the vacationers don't stop the warning plates, then they are not informative or they are not there at all! If there are no warning signs – they need to be installed, and if they are not informative – it is necessary to explain again, and separately to each visitor, what health risks such recreation carries.
Why do you ask? After all, water samples have been taken and investigated, prescriptions have been sent, media have been notified, written instructions have been issued, and warning signs have been placed! А дальше – everyone's personal business: break the taboos or adhere to them. Нет, так не пойдет. Because this is the health of our citizens, especially children. Ето вы – local authorities, must ensure the population conditions for recreation on clean beaches, rivers and lakes!
Separately, I would like to stay on the warning plates. Today it's a banal inscription «Купаться простенно». What meaning did the authorities put in this inscription? While in Komrate, I communicated with local residents and received very interesting answers: «someone does not want to swim in this place», «there is some danger», «the water is dirty». Strangely enough, Chişinău gave similar answers. So what's wrong with this inscription?
I don't know what the local officials are guided by when they draw up these plates, but I turned to our highest law of the society and the state – the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. You will be very surprised: the warning signs do not correspond to Article 37, namely: «(2) The State guarantees every person the right to free access to reliable information about the state of the natural environment...» and «(3) Concealment or distortion of information about people harmful to health факторах is prohibited by law».
In other words, any resident of Moldova or a foreign tourist, coming to the beach, must be able to see a warning sign with reliable information about the specific reasons why it is forbidden to swim in this reservoir, because hiding or distorting information about factors harmful to people's health is prohibited by law!
The summer season will come very quickly, there is very little time left for the correct layout of warning signs. And most importantly, don't forget that our cities need new cleaning facilities!
PS Before preparing this article, I visited all the large reservoirs along the Yalpug river and went around practically all the reservoirs of the municipality of Chişinău. And even earlier, I submitted petitions to all controlling bodies, which confirmed that "water from Komrat and Taraklia lakes cannot be used for drinking, as well as for domestic purposes, in fishing, irrigation, swimming and recreation". Что гачество водоемов миниципия Кишинев, то отвей был знакомства: «monitoring of the quality of water in lakes on organized beaches is carried out during the period of the summer season. According to the results obtained for several years, including 2019, the water quality in the lakes of the municipality of Chişinău for the purposes of water use does not correspond to the current standards. In fact, the population was informed about it through the media and through the information board on the beaches».
Автор статьи: Anatoly Zalevsky