Comprehensive On-Site Inspection of Seoul Flood and Disaster Prevention Facilities by the End of April

Seoul City Establishes 'Comprehensive Natural Disaster Mitigation Plan' Amid Climate Anomalies
Strengthening Public Awareness and Evacuation Guidance Systems for Citizen Safety in River Use

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct emergency on-site inspections of disaster prevention facility construction sites by the end of April to prepare for heavy summer rains and typhoons. This measure aims to preemptively check the flood preparedness of major construction sites and strengthen safety management.

According to Seoul City on the 18th, the inspection targets include 30 locations such as riverside construction sites prone to disasters during heavy rain, rainwater pumping stations, retention basins (rainwater storage facilities), and aging sewage pipelines. This year, experts, city and district officials, university students in related fields, and local civic groups will also participate in the inspections.

The inspections involve visiting ongoing construction sites to verify progress and the installation of safety facilities, encouraging relevant personnel to complete construction before the rainy season or operate temporarily. For riverside construction sites vulnerable to heavy rain, preparations against wind and water disasters include preemptively organizing construction materials and temporary roads accumulated in the river when water levels rise.

Each autonomous district will inspect and maintain about 3,000 disaster prevention facilities, including 120 rainwater pumping stations and sluice gates, excavation sites, protruding signboards, and steep slopes, by the end of April to ensure smooth operation during the summer season.

To prevent accidents where residents walking or cycling along rivers become isolated due to heavy rain, the city will also promote 'Safety Action Guidelines.' Additionally, to prevent isolation accidents at Dorimcheon Stream and road flooding, local civic groups and river patrol teams will be formed to continuously monitor the sites.

Alongside this, Seoul City will promote the 'Seoul Natural Disaster Reduction Comprehensive Plan' from this year through next year, which involves a comprehensive survey of risks caused by natural disasters, selecting high-risk areas, and preparing countermeasures. Natural disasters will be categorized into eight types, including typhoons, floods, heavy snow, wind, and drought, to thoroughly investigate risks and review and select disaster-prone areas for countermeasure development.

For households vulnerable to flooding that have experienced past flood damage or are expected to be at risk, free installation of flood prevention facilities will be provided. Care officials and emergency support volunteers will be designated to match with vulnerable households in a 1-to-2 ratio to provide emergency response and administrative support in case of emergencies.

Lee Jeong-hwa, Director of the Water Circulation Safety Bureau of Seoul City, stated, "Summer wind and water disaster measures are more effective when citizens actively inspect and watch over hazardous facilities around their daily lives rather than being solely led by authorities." She urged, "Citizens should take a keen interest, respond independently, and have proactive awareness to quickly evacuate from rivers when it rains."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.