Ministry of the Interior and Safety Provides Additional 1.5 Billion Won in Special Disaster Relief Funds
National Fire Agency Urgently Deploys High-Capacity Foam Discharge System
The government will provide additional support to Gangneung City in Gangwon Province, which is struggling to secure water due to the drought. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has decided to provide special disaster relief funds, and the National Fire Agency will urgently deploy a high-capacity foam discharge system.
On September 12, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it would provide an additional 1.5 billion won in special disaster and safety management grants to ensure that water supply measures in the Gangneung area can be implemented swiftly.
Obong Reservoir in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, has dried up completely, exposing the bottom. Photo by Yonhap News
Previously, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety had allocated 1.9 billion won in special disaster relief funds to secure water for daily life and agriculture in drought-affected areas of Gangwon Province. With this additional support, the total amount of special disaster relief funds provided for drought response has reached 3.4 billion won. Minister Yoon Hojoong stated, "The government will spare no necessary administrative and financial support until the drought situation is resolved, in order to minimize inconvenience for residents caused by the drought."
On the same day, the National Fire Agency also decided to urgently deploy a high-capacity foam discharge system to Gangneung City, which is facing difficulties in securing water for daily use, to provide water supply assistance. The high-capacity foam discharge system is specialized equipment introduced for disaster response at large oil tank fires or critical national facilities.
The National Fire Agency plans to use the high-capacity foam discharge system owned by the National 119 Rescue Headquarters, which can handle 45,000 liters per minute, to supply more than 10,000 tons of water per day. Currently, Gangneung City's daily water usage for daily life is about 85,000 tons. The National 119 Rescue Headquarters will install a temporary intake facility at Namdaecheon in Hongje-dong, Gangneung City, with dimensions of 25 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and 2.5 meters in depth, and will connect a 300 mm large-diameter fire hose to the high-capacity foam discharge system to directly transport water to the Hongje Water Purification Plant, which is about 1 kilometer away.
The National 119 Rescue Headquarters has been coordinating with the Gangneung City Waterworks and Sewerage Office on how to apply the high-capacity foam discharge system. Commissioner Heo Seokgon of the National Fire Agency stated, "This measure goes beyond simple water supply support; it is part of fulfilling the fire department's duty to protect the lives and safety of the people," adding, "We will continue to mobilize all available resources and respond proactively in disaster situations."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
