"Protect Residents from the Heat!" ... Gijang-gun Begins Full Operation of Water-Spraying Vehicles to Combat Heatwave

A water spraying vehicle in Gijang-gun is spraying water on the main roads of Gijang-gun.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan's Gijang-gun is conducting water spraying operations on major roads within the jurisdiction to reduce damage caused by the heatwave and provide a comfortable road environment.

Currently, the monsoon season has ended, and a heatwave warning has been issued for the 19th consecutive day, with the heatwave continuing.

From the 27th, the county will operate five water trucks, including one 16-ton truck and four 5-ton trucks. When a heatwave warning is issued, multiple round trips will be operated from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., focusing on major roads in five towns and townships with high foot traffic, such as Gijang Market, Osiria Tourist Complex, Ilgwang New Town, and Jeonggwan New Town.

Jeong Jong-bok, the head of Gijang-gun, said, "The water spraying operation can reduce road radiant heat, thereby mitigating the heat island effect, and it is also effective in alleviating fine dust, which will help improve air quality." He added, "We will continue to operate water trucks until the heatwave warning is lifted to provide residents with a comfortable road environment."

The county head also added, "We ask residents to refrain from outdoor activities during heatwaves and to take special care of their health by drinking plenty of fluids in preparation for the heatwave."

Gijang-gun has installed 13 additional shade shelters at crosswalks compared to last year, considering the safety and health of pedestrians exposed to strong sunlight during signal waits, and currently operates a total of 122 shade shelters.

The county plans to secure additional budgets to continuously carry out the shade shelter installation project and to replace existing manual shade shelters with smart shade shelters.