Full Effort on Inspection and Maintenance of Flood-Prone Facilities
▲ Completed full survey of 7,547 semi-basement households, supporting flood prevention facilities
▲ Completed comprehensive inspection and maintenance of 201 sites including construction sites, rivers, and steep slopes
Focused inspection and cleaning of rainwater drains
▲ Completed first dredging and cleaning of all 16,650 drains; on the 27th, maintenance of defective drains centered on residents' living areas
▲ On the 28th, conducted a large-scale rainwater drain cleaning with about 1,000 residents across all 14 neighborhoods
O Eon-seok, the mayor of Dobong-gu, is cleaning a rainwater drain filled with cigarette butts and other debris.
Dobong-gu (District Mayor Oh Eon-seok) is concentrating administrative efforts to create a city safe from flood and wind disasters such as heavy summer rains and typhoons.
Earlier, since May 15, the district has operated a Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters led by Mayor Oh Eon-seok, maintaining a 24-hour emergency duty system with 13 task forces in stages. Additionally, to ensure swift and efficient response close to residents, care officials for flood-vulnerable households and private sector accompanying partners have been designated and are being managed and operated.
Full Effort on Inspection and Maintenance of Flood-Prone Facilities
The district completed a full survey of 7,547 semi-basement households at risk of flooding together with construction experts and is currently supporting flood prevention facilities such as operable security windows for households with high flood risk. Furthermore, water-blocking panels and backflow valves have been installed in 193 underground houses and small businesses vulnerable to sewage backflow and surface water flooding during heavy rains.
Comprehensive inspections and maintenance were also conducted on a total of 201 flood-prone facilities within the district, including construction sites, rivers, steep slopes, and sedimentation basins. In particular, 96 remote blocking facilities for river access were expanded to ensure the safety of river users, and facility inspections on rivers such as Jungnangcheon were completed.
In addition, a river patrol team of 104 members composed of civilians and government officials is operating, and a flood warning and alert system has been established, operating water level monitoring and emergency evacuation notification systems for rivers.
On the 20th, ahead of the full summer rainy season, an emergency on-site inspection was conducted targeting 30 sites including 9 private and public construction sites, 7 steep slopes, 1 underground pedestrian underpass, 4 rivers, and 9 landslide-prone areas. An additional inspection will be conducted on the 27th to ensure thorough flood prevention.
Focused Inspection and Cleaning of Rainwater Drains
The district is also putting effort into managing rainwater drains, which could potentially cause flooding and inundation. There are a total of 16,650 rainwater drains in Dobong-gu, and as of the 25th, the first dredging and cleaning have been completed. Mechanical dredging was completed in flood-prone areas such as main roads, around subway stations, and low-lying areas where manual dredging is difficult.
By the 27th, another round of inspection and investigation of rainwater drains will be conducted focusing on residents’ living areas such as side streets, with immediate maintenance of defective drains planned. Along with maintenance, the district will also check for excessive sediment accumulation, concrete damage, and whether covers are left unattended causing odors.
On the 28th, a joint public-private large-scale rainwater drain cleaning will be held across all 14 neighborhoods in connection with Seoul Clean Day, involving about 1,000 participants. The district mayor, local community organizations, temporary workers, and residents will all participate, focusing on dredging and cleaning drains in flood-prone areas.
Meanwhile, the district completed a full survey and database construction of 9,021 rainwater drains by last year, and plans to complete the survey and database for the remaining 7,629 drains this year. Based on this, the district will establish maintenance plans by administrative district using rainwater drain information and utilize data-based objective decision-making during disasters.
Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu stated, “We will prioritize the lives and safety of residents and do our best to inspect facilities and prevent damage in preparation for this summer’s rainy season,” and urged, “All departments and community centers should continuously monitor flood-prone areas, construction sites, and rainwater drains to prevent damage and maintain the emergency response system until the end of this rainy season.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
