Resolution Rally Held at County Office Rotary After Launch of Bantu Committee
Opposition Committee for the Installation of Hwanggang Regional Water Intake Plant Launched [Image Source=Geochang-gun]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] The Opposition Committee Against the Installation of Hwanggang Regional Water Intake Plant in Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam, was launched on the 21st at the situation room on the 2nd floor of the county office.
The launching ceremony was held with a minimal number of attendees, limited to the chairpersons of 11 organizations, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
The newly launched opposition committee included 18 participants from the Residents' Autonomy Association, Village Chiefs' Council, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others, and elected representatives of 8 organizations as co-chairpersons. Gu In-mo, the mayor of Geochang-gun, also attended and agreed to jointly respond with the opposition committee, planning to expand the organization later.
After the launch, at the county office rotary, the opposition committee declared through a resolution statement that “any discussions or decisions by the government and Gyeongsangnam-do conducted excluding Geochang-gun, the direct and indirect stakeholder of the Hwanggang Regional Water Intake Plant installation project, will never be accepted.”
They also demanded the cancellation of the ‘Nakdong River Basin Water Management Committee’ meeting scheduled to be held in Sejong City on the 24th.
Previously, on the 18th, the ‘Nakdong River Basin Integrated Water Management Plan Downstream Area Public Forum’ scheduled in Changnyeong was also canceled after the participation of livestock organizations and the Nature Conservation Council of Geochang-gun, who joined forces with the opposition committees of Hapcheon-gun and Changnyeong-gun to disrupt the forum.
The ‘Hwanggang Regional Water Intake Plant Installation Project’ has been promoted by the Ministry of Environment since March 2019. It was publicized through the interim report meeting of the ‘Nakdong River Basin Integrated Water Management Plan Research’ held in Changnyeong last August. The plant is planned to be installed in Jukgo-ri, Jeokjung-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, with a daily intake capacity of 450,000 tons to supply eastern Gyeongnam and Busan.
For this, it is necessary to maintain the Hapcheon Dam reservoir at a full water level of 100%, confirming that Geochang-gun, located upstream of Hapcheon Dam, is a direct stakeholder.
At the rotary resolution rally, the opposition committee emphasized, “We will fight alongside 70,000 Geochang residents to block this unilateral installation project that threatens the future of the county.”
Mayor Gu said, “Although this project will clearly cause damage to our county, the related ministries only respond that there will be no damage,” and promised, “We will do our best to actively represent the situation to the related ministries so that your efforts can be doubled.”
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