Anti-Drought Measures Planned

By Lee Tae-hoon Staff Reporter The government announced a set of measures to combat the drought and water shortage, Tuesday. In a Cabinet meeting, the administration decided to frontload 73 billion won ($4.7 million) and implement short- and long-term measures to tackle water-shortage problems, including awareness campaigns, a government spokesman said. Short-term steps include drilling emergency wells and dredging 88,000 tons of mud from Gwangdong Dam in Taebaek, Gwangwon Province, which has been hit hard by the prolonged drought. As part of its long-term measures, the government will replace 25,000 kilometers of rusty water pipes vulnerable to water leakage and build more water reservoirs and dams, the spokesman said. The government also plans to make it mandatory for households to use water-saving taps and toilets and for washing machines to indicate how much water is used, he said. The United Nations has classified Korea as a water shortage country. leeth@koreatimes.co.kr