Yongsan-gu to Expand Hannam Rainwater Pump Station by July

Operation of 13 Task Forces Under Headquarters Chief (District Mayor) from May 15 to October 15... Last Month, Completion of CCTV Installation Project Linked to Smart Flood Control System

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) will form and operate the 2020 Summer Flood and Wind Disaster Preparedness Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Disaster HQ) for five months from May 15 to October 15.

The Disaster HQ consists of the Headquarters Chief (Mayor), Deputy Chief (Deputy Mayor), Controller (Director of Safety and Construction Bureau), Support Cooperation Officer (Director of Administrative Support Bureau), and 13 task forces. Each task force is responsible for rapid response such as overall situation management during disasters, disaster publicity, administrative support, traffic measures, medical quarantine, and emergency recovery.

According to weather forecasts, the district will implement emergency duty for public officials in stages: ▲Stage 1 - Caution (Heavy Rain Advisory, Typhoon Advisory, Strong Wind Advisory) ▲Stage 2 - Alert (Heavy Rain Warning, Flood Advisory, Typhoon Warning, Strong Wind Warning) ▲Stage 3 - Serious (Flood Warning, Multiple Evacuees).

For 150 households prioritized for flood damage management, 145 care officials will be assigned to provide one-on-one close monitoring.

In case of large-scale flooding or collapse accidents, an on-site command post will be established to manage the situation, recover damages, conduct briefings, and handle civil complaints at the accident site. The on-site command post consists of the district on-site situation room, emergency rescue control team, disaster management governance, and district on-site recovery support team.

Previously, the district established a cooperative system with related organizations such as the Central Metropolitan Waterworks Office, Korea Electric Power Corporation (Mapo Yongsan Branch), Western Road Office, and Korean Red Cross (Yongsan·Mapo Center). It also completed inspections of 285 flood-vulnerable areas and facilities as well as flood control equipment.

Sandbags (4,500 units) stocked in 30 vulnerable areas are available for use by anyone in case of emergency. Equipment such as water pumps and submersible pumps can be rented at the local community service centers.

The district also operates a smart flood control system (http://subang.yongsan.go.kr/). Last year, Yongsan-gu became the first autonomous district in Seoul to establish this system, providing customized local information such as weather alerts and rainfall data scattered across the Korea Meteorological Administration and Ministry of Environment, water levels at major points in Yongsan-gu (Han River), and shelter status.

The system is accessible via both PC and mobile devices. Users can access it by entering the URL in the internet address bar.

Last month, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) installation project linked to the smart flood control system was carried out. Five new CCTVs were installed in flood-prone areas including the intersection in front of Hyochang Park Station, Sinyongsan Underpass, Sukdae Entrance Station intersection, Bogwang intersection, and around Hannam Five-way Intersection, enabling more proactive situation management through integration with the smart flood control system.

In July, the expansion project of the Hannam Rainwater Pump Station will be completed. The pump station facilities will be enlarged, and new mechanical equipment including three motor pumps (534㎥/min) and a sedimentation device will be installed. Upon completion, the pump station’s processing capacity will increase more than double from the existing 1,200 tons/min to 2,560 tons/min. This scale can withstand heavy rainfalls of 95mm per hour, which can occur once every 30 years.

Additionally, the district plans to actively implement the Hannam Rainwater Pump Station inflow sewer improvement project and support projects to prevent flooding in underground houses in low-lying areas.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Due to the COVID-19 situation this year, we will start operating the Disaster HQ without a separate plaque ceremony,” and added, “We will make thorough preparations to ensure that not a single accident occurs during the summer.” Yongsan-gu Office Flood Control Division

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