Social aspects of the treatment of the Volga river basin

The article considers the ecological status and urgent issues of cleaning the Volga River basin, on the territory of which more than a third of the population of Russia lives. Some data on the activity of public environmental movements and their number are given. In order to improve the ecological status of the Volga River and its tributaries, the author proposes a new principle of water intake and discharge of purified fresh water in the production cycle of enterprises, as well as the change in the system of fines for damage to nature. In order to ensure environmental safety, the author proposes creating a new law enforcement agency - the environmental police.