Seoul: Full-scale efforts have been launched to supply water to the drought-hit city of Gangneung, deploying hundreds of soldiers, dozens of fire trucks, and a Coast Guard patrol vessel, officials said Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, last Saturday, the government declared the drought in the eastern coastal city as a state of disaster after the water storage level of its main water source fell to a record low of 15.7 percent. Since then, the National Fire Agency has mobilized 71 fire trucks, while the Coast Guard has dispatched a 5,000-ton vessel tasked with patrolling the East Sea to supply water to the city.
On Thursday, the defense ministry began deploying some 800 troops and around 400 water tankers to supply water to Obong Reservoir, the city's main water source. In response to the crisis, Gangneung city announced it would partially limit supplying water to 123 large-scale water consumers, including apartment complexes and accommodation facilities, starting Saturday. This measure is part of a broader strategy to combat the ongoing drought.
If the water storage level falls below 10 percent, Gangneung plans to implement further water conservation measures in phases, such as restricting water use from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. or even every other day. As of 6 a.m. Friday, the Obong Reservoir's water storage level stood at 13.3 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous day.
Other municipal governments, including Incheon, just west of Seoul, have joined the effort to send bottled water and water tankers to Gangneung. Companies, such as e-commerce giant Coupang, have also contributed by sending bottled water to the city. As of Wednesday, Gangneung had secured 2.47 million bottles of water and was set to distribute them to its residents.