Pyeongtaek City's River Environment Set for Major Transformation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City's river environment is poised for significant change.

Pyeongtaek City announced on the 20th that it is implementing the designation of a fishing, camping, and cooking prohibition zone (hereinafter, fishing prohibition zone) and river environmental improvement projects for a 7.5-kilometer section of Tongbok Stream (from Cheongryong-dong 68 to Sindae-dong 621-8), a local waterway, to create a clean river environment that citizens want to walk through.

Tongbok Stream has been a place where citizens have voiced strong demands for river environmental improvements due to water quality deterioration and surrounding environmental pollution caused by fishing residue such as fish feed, fish meal, and trash.

Accordingly, the city is designating Tongbok Stream as a fishing prohibition zone. It is collecting opinions from local residents from the 8th through the 29th. Once the fishing prohibition zone is designated following the opinion collection period, all fishing including lure fishing, camping, and cooking will be prohibited.

The city will conduct a sufficient awareness period before implementing full enforcement beginning in July, and violators will face administrative fines ranging from 1 million won to a maximum of 3 million won.

Additionally, the city is pursuing the designation of fishing prohibition zones for Anseong Stream and Jinwi Stream, both national waterways, beginning in January next year.

The city is also pursuing riverbank environmental improvements. Beginning in late May, it will implement environmental improvement projects including bicycle path maintenance along Tongbok Stream and Anseong Stream, mowing and tree-cutting work on walking trails to create a pleasant river environment.

By next month's 25th, the city plans to continue demolishing illegal facilities within the river area such as fishing platforms, tents, and containers along Anseong Stream and Jinwi Stream. During the voluntary demolition guidance period, it will encourage voluntary restoration, and if not demolished, it will proceed with forced demolition. To date, five illegal fishing platforms and one illegal container have been demolished.

A city official stated, "We will make efforts to provide a clean river environment that citizens seek through continuous environmental improvements and supervisory enforcement of the riverbank areas."