[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 2.4 billion KRW, including city and county funds, to inspect and maintain approximately 1,900 public wells in nine cities and counties, including Hwaseong City, this year to reduce crop damage caused by drought.
Gyeonggi Province announced on the 2nd that it has prepared and will begin implementing this month the "Establishment of Agricultural Public Well Management Infrastructure and Maintenance of Aged Wells Project" plan containing these details.
According to the province, the annual groundwater usage in the region totals 460 million tons, of which 2,425 agricultural public wells managed by Gyeonggi Province and the Korea Rural Community Corporation Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters can supply 180 million tons of agricultural water annually.
However, 82% of the public wells have been installed for more than 10 years and require inspection and maintenance.
Accordingly, the province has been conducting a public well inspection and maintenance project since last year targeting 24 local governments in the province, including Pyeongtaek City, in cooperation with the Korea Rural Community Corporation Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters.
The province expects this project to ensure a stable supply of agricultural water during the farming season and to effectively respond to drought caused by abnormal climate conditions.
Kim Ki-jong, head of the Eco-friendly Agriculture Division of the province, emphasized, "Many existing public wells have lost their original functions due to aging, but through this project, we will promote smooth agricultural water supply so that residents can farm with peace of mind."
Meanwhile, last year, 1,398 public wells were inspected and maintained in seven cities and counties, including Anseong City, achieving a budget saving of 2.6 billion KRW compared to new installations and increasing the annual agricultural water supply by 2 million tons.
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