Did not manage to get away with a fine. The Court ordered to demolish the fence restricting free access to the water body.

A fine in the amount of 200 thousand rubles and demolition of the construction restricting free access to the water body. This was supposed to be the punishment for "Leninogorsk heating network" JSC for the violation of the water protection legislation. In spring, within the framework of the "Flood" operation, inspectors of the South-Eastern Territorial Department under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan carried out inspection of the coastal area of the Stepnoy Zay River in Leninogorsk district in Pis'myanskoe rural settlement. It was found out that the fence of the water pump station completely hindered free access of citizens to the water body. Ecological specialists drew a protocol according to Article 8.12.1 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation "Failure to comply with the obligation to provide citizens with free access to the public water body and its coastal area").  According to Article 6 of the Water Code of the Russian Federation, a 20-m coastal belt along the beach line of a water body is meant for public use.  The inspectors passed on a recommendation to demolish the illegal construction. Nevertheless, these recommendations were neglected. The case materials were referred by the inspectors of the Ministry of Ecology to Almetyevsk municipal court. A ruling was made to eliminate the violation and to inflict the administrative punishment in the form of a fine in the amount of 200 thousand rubles. The offenders still challenged the decision of Almetyevsk municipal court and filed a complaint to the Supreme Court. But the Supreme Court also found illegal the actions of "Leninogorsk heating network" JSC on erection of a fence in the water protection area. The Court ordered the offenders to vacate coastal area by demolishing the concrete fence. The fence had been demolished a day before that. To prevent another violation, the territory is now under special control of ecological specialists. 

Press Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan