Seocho-gu Prioritizes Installation of 'Manhole Fall Prevention Facilities' at 108 Low-Lying Areas Around Gangnam Station

Seocho-gu to Urgently Conduct Flood Relief Plan Study Dividing Habitual Flood Zones in Bangbae and Yangjae into Two Areas & Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seongsu: "We Will Establish Fundamental Measures to Resolve Flood Issues and Create a 'Flood-Safe Seocho'"

Jeon Seong-su, Seocho District Mayor (left)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) has recently begun formulating fundamental measures to prevent recurrence in relation to the damage caused by the heavy rainfalls in the central region.

While participating in Seoul City's mid- to long-term flood control measures, the district plans to prioritize region-specific actions that can be carried out at the district level.

First, the district has selected 108 locations with high foot traffic in low-lying areas, including the Gangnam Station area where casualties occurred, and will begin installing ‘manhole fall prevention devices’ at these sites starting this week.

The ‘manhole fall prevention device’ is a facility that installs nets or iron structures just below the manhole cover to prevent people from falling into the sewer even if the cover opens. This is an emergency measure following the tragic accident on the 8th where a manhole cover on the road was blown off by water pressure, resulting in two deaths.

The installation of the 108 selected ‘manhole fall prevention devices’ is expected to be completed within this month, with plans to install additional devices in other flood-prone areas in the future. The installed products will be made of sturdy and high-strength cast iron materials, selected after comparing and analyzing products available on the market.

For the safety of residents, the district plans to proactively install the ‘manhole fall prevention devices’ at the district level in consultation with Seoul City and then apply for the necessary budget from the Seoul City Disaster Management Fund.

Alongside this, following Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's recent announcement of constructing rainwater storage and drainage facilities (deep tunnels) around the Gangnam Station area, the district has also started its own urgent measures in consultation with Seoul City that can be implemented promptly.

The district will invest a total of 52 million KRW to develop comprehensive flood relief measures for the 570,000㎡ area covering the habitual flood zones of Bangbae and Yangjae-dong, dividing the area into two zones and conducting its own survey starting in September.

Parts of Bangbae-dong and Yangjae-dong are low-lying flood-prone areas densely populated with villas. Although Bangbae-dong completed a 1.3 km sewer culvert construction along Bangbae-ro over four years, the recent heavy rain exceeded the sewer capacity, causing rainwater to backflow and flood the area. Similarly, although a rainwater retention basin was installed in Yangjae Neighborhood Park, it was insufficient during the heavy rain.

Sewer culvert construction refers to the excavation of underground or under-structure channels to allow sewage to flow.

Going forward, the district plans to promptly proceed with flood prevention projects that can be implemented based on the survey results, and will actively request Seoul City to promote projects in areas requiring large-scale budgets.

The district operates a ‘Public-Private Emergency Recovery Team’ consisting of over 1,400 members from 18 dong-level functional organizations and general residents, working together to quickly restore neighborhoods. Currently, 99% of emergency recovery has been completed, and work will continue until full restoration is achieved.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, stated, "We will swiftly install fall prevention devices to ensure that no more casualties occur due to manhole cover openings during heavy rain," adding, "We will promptly establish fundamental measures to resolve flooding issues and create a ‘flood-safe Seocho’ where residents no longer feel anxious even when it rains."

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