On the morning of the 28th, Naju City in Jeollanam-do held a meeting to inspect countermeasures against natural disasters in the summer of 2024 at the city hall's main conference room, chaired by Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, together with related organizations such as the Naju Police Station and Naju Fire Station.
According to the city, this meeting was held to prepare for the occurrence of summer natural disasters such as typhoons and heatwaves, sharing and inspecting countermeasures by each organization with 21 collaborative departments of the Naju City Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and 7 related institutions.
Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju City, presiding over the 2024 Summer Natural Disaster Response Inspection Meeting. Photo by Naju City
On this day, related disaster preparedness organizations such as Naju Police Station, Naju Fire Station, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea Rural Community Corporation, KT Naju Branch, Naju Office of Education, and the 3rd Battalion of the 8332nd Army Unit attended.
The city has completed preliminary inspections of 99 landslide-prone areas within the jurisdiction where slope collapse is feared due to typhoons and heavy rain, 60 steep slopes, and 126 km of forest roads, establishing a rapid response system by designating management officers for each facility.
Drainage pump stations totaling 57 locations (26 by the city, 31 by the Rural Community Corporation), 97 drainage gates, 218 reservoirs (58 by the city, 160 by the Rural Community Corporation), and removal of foreign substances around road gutters, rainwater inlets, and manholes, as well as inspection of management facilities, were completed by mid-last month.
In addition, the city has been fully prepared by conducting drainage pump station operation drills in early June in preparation for emergency situations.
In particular, 17 roads prone to flooding have been designated, and a four-person responsibility system (2 public officials, 1 police officer, 1 civilian) has been implemented to take proactive preventive measures to prevent inconvenience to vehicle traffic and pedestrian citizens and damage.
Along with typhoons and heavy rain, thorough measures will also be taken to prevent heat-related illnesses caused by heatwave weather.
To reduce heatwave damage during the summer, the city operates 222 shade shelters (parasols), 618 cooling shelters, and 5 water spraying trucks on major city roads.
Support for cooling costs at cooling shelters, installation of cooling and heating benches at bus stops, and provision of preventive items such as cooling sleeves and fans for outdoor workers to prevent heat-related illnesses will help citizens enjoy a cool summer.
Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “This year, abnormal climate is expected to prolong the heatwave, so we must prioritize citizens’ health management and prepare accordingly,” adding, “We will actively respond with related organizations such as the police and fire departments to prevent summer natural disasters such as localized heavy rain.”
He continued, “I hope thorough measures will be taken to prevent safety blind spots, such as strengthening safety at large-scale development sites, checking on vulnerable groups like elderly living alone, and ensuring the operation of cooling devices at cooling shelters.”
Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
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