Andong City Opposes Ministry of Environment's 'Nakdong River Integrated Water Management Plan'... "Water Colonization of Andong"

Ministry of Environment Urges Cancellation of 'Research Service' Interim Report Released on the 5th, Citing "Provocation of Conflicts Between Local Governments"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Andong City has strongly opposed the results of the Ministry of Environment's research project, which includes plans to supply water from Gumi Haepyeong Intake Station or Andong Imha Dam to Daegu.

On the morning of the 6th, Andong Mayor Kwon Young-se and Andong City Council Chairman Kim Ho-seok held a press conference at City Hall, strongly criticizing the Ministry of Environment's research results as "the water colonization of Andong City."

They stated, "The tears shed by over 40,000 displaced residents who left their hometowns due to the construction of Andong Dam in 1976 and Imha Dam in 1993 became the bitter foundation for the industrial complex revival in Busan, Daegu, and Pohang and Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province," adding, "For the past 50 years, Andong has had to endure various regulations under the pretext of supplying clean water to the downstream Yeongnam region."

They continued, "An area of 231.2㎢ near Andong Dam, equivalent to about 32,000 times the size of a soccer field, has been designated as a natural environment conservation area for 43 years, becoming useless land that is only nominally owned," lamenting, "Property rights here are nothing more than a preserved document."

Furthermore, they said, "The Ministry of Environment's plan requires over 1 trillion won in costs to combine 300,000 tons of water from Imha Dam and 280,000 tons of ultra-high-level treated water from Munsan Maegok," questioning, "Who is the 'Daegu water source diversification,' which only looks good on the surface but stirs conflicts among local governments and raises concerns about the astronomical funding required, really for?"

They urged, "Immediately cancel the water intake from Seongdeok Dam's Gilan Stream, which currently draws water through the existing Yeongcheon Dam aqueduct without the consent of Andong citizens, and take water directly from Seongdeok Dam," and demanded, "Withdraw the integrated water management plan as the Imha Dam water intake is an extension of Andong's half-century water colonization."

Earlier, on the 5th, the Ministry of Environment released an interim report on the 'Integrated Water Management Plan for the Nakdong River Basin.' This report, which proposed alternatives to diversify safe water sources in the upper Nakdong River area, presented three options: ▲Using Daegu Nakdong River sandbar bank filtered water + ultra-high-level treatment at Daegu Munsan and Maegok Intake Stations ▲Gumi Haepyeong Intake Station water intake + ultra-high-level treatment at Munsan and Maegok Intake Stations ▲Andong Imha Dam water intake + ultra-high-level treatment at Munsan and Maegok Intake Stations.

The core of the plan is to draw 300,000 tons of water daily from either Gumi Haepyeong Intake Station or Andong Imha Dam, located upstream of the Gumi National Industrial Complex on the Nakdong River, and supply it to Daegu and other areas.

Currently, Daegu City supplies 66% of its domestic water from the Munsan and Maegok Intake Stations on the Nakdong River downstream of the Gumi National Industrial Complex. In this regard, following President Moon Jae-in's directive in December 2018 to develop an integrated water management plan for the Nakdong River Basin, the Ministry of Environment began the 'Integrated Water Management Plan for the Nakdong River Basin' research project in March last year and released the interim report on the 5th.