In the Boyanskoto blato region, illegal filling of a river ravine is taking place - a natural outflow through which the water from the swamp flows. Lawyer Vesselin Tonchev has raised the alarm about this, according to whom the actions of the builders contradict the development plans and pose a risk of future floods. Despite the signals, the construction continues. Here is what the lawyer shared with FACTI.
- Lawyer Tonchev, for a long time you have been following what is happening in the Boyanskoto blato region. Against the background of what we have seen in the “Elenite“ resort and other complexes by the sea, the issue of the construction of water bodies is again coming to the fore. What is currently happening with the Boyanskoto swamp?
- A river ravine is currently being built on - north of the property. This is absolutely illegal and is identical to what happened in the “Elenite“ resort. The ravine appears on the topographic map of Sofia from 1978, which we have provided to the municipality. It is visible in the general development plan from 2007, and it is also in the amendment to the general plan from 2009. The riverbed is also present on satellite photos. But the builders simply filled it in, because a housing complex will appear there. We have made a reference and checked all the projects - nowhere is filling in or changing the water flow foreseen. The river ravine is simply being built on at the moment.
- It is disappearing, so to speak…
- It is disappearing, yes - not in documents, but physically. The ravine is present on the cadastral map and in the development plan, but on site, the builders filled it in. Graphically, this ravine is the river that starts from the Boyanskoto blato and ends in the Radindol ravine. However, on the ground, this river has been erased, the ravine has been filled in with earth.
- So, this is the river that drains the water from the swamp?
- Yes, exactly. This is the riverbed along which the water from the Boyana Swamp drains when there are larger volumes of water. When it rains or the swamp level rises, this water drains precisely along this ravine.
- What is the illegal action in this case?
- The filling of the riverbed itself is absolutely illegal. We checked with the Basin Directorate – they told us that they had not issued any permit and that such filling cannot be allowed, because the drainage of a water body is ensured there. We also checked in the “Vitosha“ region – there are no construction documents, no construction permit that would allow correction or removal of the riverbed runoff.
- And according to the construction documents, what is coming to this place?
- According to the projects, residential buildings are to be built on the filled-in ravine. That is, they are literally building on the riverbed. This is absolutely illegal.
- How is it being built then? Have you filed a report and where?
- Yes. We have filed reports to the Sofia Municipality, “Vitosha“ district, and to the chief architect of Sofia. In them we clearly state that construction is currently taking place without permits and that water runoff is being corrected without the relevant documents. We have also published photos on our page - from development plans, topographic maps and satellite images. Everyone can see the ravine, which is now filled in.
- What will happen to the Boyana Swamp after the ravine is destroyed? How will flows away?
- This is a very important question. The water has nowhere to go. At the moment, the ravine ends at the property where the construction is taking place. After the rest of it is filled in, when the level of the swamp rises, the water will pour onto the construction itself.
- So it will flow along the terrain. Does water always find a way?
- The water will flow by gravity, but uncontrollably, because there is no longer a riverbed. This means that flooding may occur.
- Did you hold a meeting with representatives of the municipality? What is the development...
- Yes, there was a meeting with the Sofia Municipality. At that time, we mainly discussed the ban on building on the Boyana Swamp itself as a water body. Actions are being taken to change the regulatory plans in order to stop construction in the area. But the most problematic remains this property, we are talking about – there is a permit issued there for the construction of residential buildings, which in our opinion is illegal.
- What should be done in your opinion?
- This part of the construction, which affects the riverbed, must be stopped immediately. The mayor of the “Vitosha“ district has the competence to issue an order for this and to oblige the builder to restore the original state of the ravine. We should not wait for a tragedy like in “Elenite“ to take action.
- Do you expect this to happen?
- We hope it will happen. In our signal, we indicated that there are no construction documents for the filling of the ravine - this is sufficient reason to stop and restore the original situation. The moment to stop is now. The terrain has been leveled and preparations are being made to pour the foundations.
- Do you have contact with architect Zarko Kalinkov, the mayor of the “Vitosha“ district?
- Yes, we have communication. So far, the talks have mainly concerned changing the regulatory plans and preventing future development. But now we are also insisting on an immediate halt to the current construction, because it is currently underway. As we speak, the terrain is being leveled on site and the concreting of the foundations is being prepared.
- When do you expect a reaction from the authorities?
- I assume that there should be a result within the next week. All signals have been submitted and there are four grounds for stopping the construction. Now is the time to act – not in months, when it will be too late and construction will be well underway.