The staff of the Huxian Water Authority claimed that several buildings by the Taiping River endangered the safety of the river channel. Photo by Wang Jing, a reporter of our newspaper.
Without approval, constructing buildings within the river management area may pose potential hazards to the safety of the river channel. However, in Taipingkou Village to the south of Huxian County, five three-story buildings have been constructed, causing great concern among some villagers.
■ Villager’s Report
Five Buildings Within One Meter from the River
On February 15th, a villager reported to our newspaper that along the Taiping River to the south of Huxian County, someone had built five three-story buildings. "They've been there for some time. The buildings are right next to the Taiping River, about one meter away. If it's the flood season, these buildings could be at great risk of being washed away by floods," a worried villager said.
These newly-built buildings were located in Taipingkou Village by the Taiping River. On the morning of the same day, I saw the five buildings described by the villagers near the Charity Bridge in the village. All the buildings were three stories high, with their facades basically finished and covered with tiles, appearing to have been completed for some time. When I arrived at the building site, the gate was locked, preventing me from entering. Through the undecorated windows, I could see items like cement mixers and floor tiles inside. Beside this building, close to the Taiping River, on a slope about one meter above the river, a long riverbank protection slope had been constructed.
Two villagers who were warming themselves nearby said that these five buildings started construction in April or May last year, and the owner was from Xi'an. The land where the houses were built belonged to the village, which used to be a place for villagers to dump garbage. It was heard that the owner had signed a lease agreement with the village and paid rent.
■ Water Authority
Buildings Endangering the Safety of the River Channel Must Be Demolished
Regarding this issue, Xu Jiangbo, deputy director of the Taiping River Management Station in Huxian County, stated that they had known about this situation for a long time. They tried to stop the construction when the foundations were being laid, but it was ineffective. He mentioned that the river section where the buildings were erected belonged to an untreated segment, and although the exact scope of the embankment protection area and shore protection area had not been determined, according to regulations, the original condition of the riverbank should be maintained. Therefore, building houses by the river would definitely not be allowed. However, the location was also part of the land belonging to Taipingkou Village, and the builder claimed to have signed a lease agreement with the village.
In the afternoon of the same day, staff members of the Water Resources Supervision Team of the Huxian Water Authority indicated that the occupied area was approximately 2000 square meters, a place where villagers usually dumped garbage. Building houses in this area posed significant safety hazards to the river's flood discharge capacity. In August last year, they issued a notice ordering the cessation of construction, demanding immediate suspension of construction and acceptance of fines. However, the builder neither stopped construction nor paid the fine, nor did he file for administrative reconsideration within the specified period.
The staff stated that these under-construction buildings endanger the safety of the river channel. The next step would be to apply for court-ordered forced demolition.
■ Builder
Did Not Consult About River Safety Issues During Construction Planning
On the morning of the same day, I couldn't find the village secretary at the Taipingkou Village Party Branch. Subsequently, I went to his home, where his family said he was out on business. I repeatedly called his mobile phone, which was forwarded to another number. I also sent an interview text message, but received no response by the time of publication.
According to relevant provisions of the "Regulations of Shaanxi Province on River Management": The following behaviors are prohibited within the river management area: constructing illegal cross dams, longitudinal dams, encircling dikes, production dikes, high roads, high channels, and houses. If violated, the water administrative department will order the removal within a specified period. If not removed by the deadline, the water administrative department will organize a forced removal, with all costs borne by the person responsible for the obstruction, and corresponding fines will be imposed.
Last night, Mr. Huang, the builder, contacted the reporter, stating that the land was indeed rented from the village last year for self-built residential housing. Considering the possible impact of the flood season river water during construction, the foundation was dug deeper, and special reinforcement treatment was done. At the same time, he admitted that he did not consult the water authority about issues related to river safety during the planning stage.
Mr. Huang did not disclose the rent for this land or the cost of the five buildings.
By Li Biao, a reporter of our newspaper.
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