A person who simply cleaned a river is now facing the risk of imprisonment.

Let's start with the situation in the United Kingdom.

People are wading through the river, clearing away trash and mud.

They even mobilized equipment to clear blocked waterways.

Paul Powlesland, a British lawyer and environmental activist, conducted cleanup work with volunteers at the Alders Brook river in East London for about ten days.

They claim to have collected over 200 bags of trash from the river and restored some of the blocked waterways.

However, unexpectedly, Powlesland could face up to two years in prison.

This is because the UK Environment Agency is investigating whether their work violated relevant regulations, as it was carried out without prior authorization.

In particular, it is reported that the agency is concerned that the scale of the dredging was larger than expected, which could potentially increase the risk of flooding.

Is Powlesland a hero who saved the river, or a violator who broke the rules?

(Source: Instagram @riverrodingtrust, @paul.powlesland)