NIK issues a devastating opinion about the PLN 1.6 bln border wall
02:29
On January 25, the construction of the wall on the border with Belarus will start, which is to cost as much as PLN 1.6 billion. A thorough analysis of the investment was carried out by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK), and on its basis, President Marian Banaś decided to conduct an ad hoc inspection in this matter.
The wall on the Polish-Belarusian border will be the largest construction investment in the history of the Border Guard. As much as PLN 1.5 billion is to be spent on the construction of the dam itself, while the technical equipment is to cost PLN 115 million. The wall will be 180 kilometers long and will be made of steel poles 5 meters high supported by a concrete foundation. An additional half-meter coil of barbed wire will be installed at the top of the dam.
The NIK stated that due to the special act, the residents were not presented with a construction plan or design, and no information meeting on activities planned in the immediate vicinity was held. The auditors emphasize that the special act adopted in October clearly states that the provisions of the construction law, water law, environmental protection law, geodetic and cartographic law, and any other law, will not be applied to the investment.
This means that the investment is in practice outlawed, and decisions will be made without public or environmental consultations.
"The construction of the wall will inevitably entail inconvenience for the local community, but our greatest fear is the irreversible damage caused to nature. The construction work and intensive use of the area will have a negative impact on flora and fauna," we read in the summary of the findings of the NIK auditors.
