Gwangju Dong-gu Selects 'Naejicheon' for Our Village Stream Restoration Contest

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Im Taek) announced on the 8th that Naeji Stream (a 1.8 km section) has been finally selected as the target site for the Ministry of Environment's '2021 Our Village Ditch Restoration' project.

With this project selection, Dong-gu secured the largest project budget (79 million KRW) among Gwangju's autonomous districts and plans to continuously restore water quality and aquatic ecosystems through ▲ditch waterway creation ▲planting water purification plants ▲public-private joint environmental cleanup activities.

Naeji Stream underwent a sewage maintenance project in 2013 due to village wastewater inflow, but it has been facing water quality issues such as scattered surrounding farmland, neglected dead trees, and algal blooms, making the restoration of water quality and aquatic ecosystem health urgent.

Earlier, on February 19, Dong-gu signed a business agreement for the 'Resident Participation Ditch Restoration Project' with representatives of Naeji Village residents, representatives of Jinarichae in Naenam District, Gwangju Environmental Movement Federation, and K-water Yeongsan River Basin Management Office.

Through this agreement, participating organizations will contribute to improving the village environment near Naeji Stream and enhancing the water source quality, and will establish a continuous cooperation system so that village residents can voluntarily manage the ditch.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, "It is a very meaningful achievement to restore and manage the damaged ditch together with local residents and environmental groups," and added, "We expect to see Naeji Stream, which will gain new life through this project."