Severe Drought in Gangneung, Residents Facing Increased Inconvenience

Gangwon's Gangneung region is suffering from a severe drought.

In response to this situation, Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae visited the Obong Reservoir, which accounts for 87% of the city's water supply, on the afternoon of the 24th to inspect the drought response status and measures.

Currently, the water level in the Obong Reservoir has dropped to 17.7%. This reflects a serious drought situation, as the accumulated rainfall over the past six months has only reached 51.5% of the average.

Severe Drought Condition

To address this issue, Gangneung City has implemented water restrictions by shutting off 50% of water meters since the 20th. However, with no clear rain forecast for the time being, it is difficult to halt the decline in water levels.

What is more concerning is that if the water level falls below 15%, it could lead to shutting off 75% of the water meters and a complete halt to the supply of agricultural water.

Gangwon Province Taking Emergency Measures

Governor Kim Jin-tae announced specific measures to respond to the current drought situation.

He stated that he plans to allocate 2.5 billion won in emergency funds to support the rental fees for water supply vehicles. He also mentioned, “We will supply 1,200 tons of water per day from Pyeongchang, Donghae, and Yangyang, and I will direct further expansions of this supply.”

Additionally, he noted the plan to utilize 3.5 billion won from the disaster management fund to install a pumping system at the Obong Reservoir's intake, bringing up previously unused water for additional supply of living water.

As a long-term measure, plans are in place to invest 141.7 billion won to improve aging water supply pipes and treatment facilities.

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