"Like Rain in a Drought," Miryang Farmers Breathe a Sigh of Relief as National Fire Mobilization Order Issued

"If everything is ready, we will begin drawing water."

As severe drought continues and reservoirs dry up in Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, water tank trucks from fire headquarters across the country began arriving one after another starting this morning (the 12th).

The water tank trucks started pumping water after an official from the on-site command headquarters announced the start of water intake at the Miryang Boat Pier in Sammun-dong, Miryang.

Following the issuance of a national fire mobilization order for Gyeongsangnam-do starting at 8:00 p.m. the previous day, 40 water tank trucks—the largest number within the province—were deployed to Miryang today.

Firefighters connected the water tank truck hoses to fire distribution devices placed on the ground and supplied water drawn from the Miryang River into the water tanks.

Having set out from across the country early this morning, the firefighters moved in an organized manner without a trace of fatigue.

Fire Lieutenant Kim, affiliated with the Pyeongtaek Fire Station of the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters, said, "We departed at 5:00 a.m. today, and upon arriving, it seems the drought in Miryang is really severe. Even a small amount of water is precious to farmers right now, so we need to hurry and help them out."

Filled to capacities ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 liters, the water tank trucks finished drawing water and moved to various locations in need of water supply.

The water tank trucks deployed to Miryang today supplied water to 30 areas in need, including Samnangjin-eup, Hanam-eup, Cheongdo-myeon, Bubuk-myeon, and Gagok-dong.

Farmers, who had been agonizing over the drought, could not hide their welcoming expressions as the water tank trucks arrived one by one with a roaring sound.

After getting out of their vehicles, the firefighters sought out rice paddies with ground cracked open by the drought and laid out long water tank hoses.

As the water supply began, the hoses scattered across the ground filled up and quickly grew taut before a strong stream of water poured out.

It was truly like a long-awaited rain during a drought under the blazing midday sun.

The firefighters were busy holding onto the hoses and supplying water to various places to spray even a single drop more.

In a rice paddy in Gasan-ri, Bubuk-myeon, where water was supplied today, the ground was cracked like a turtle's back, and rice plants with withered, yellowed leaves were easily spotted.

Roh, 47, a farmer with 20 years of experience, expressed relief, saying, "Water is so precious these days that even when agricultural water is supplied, the amount is limited, causing chaos as people scramble to get water. At a time when the rice grains are actively developing, sufficient water is needed for the seeds to ripen, which wasn't happening. With firefighters spraying water today, I am truly grateful, and it feels like the water of life."

Lee, 64, a farmer in Cheongdo-myeon, said, "I planted arrowroot trees on about 1,000 pyeong this spring, but without water, most of them have withered and died, which is devastating. I put my heart into it by mowing instead of using herbicides to prevent moisture evaporation, and I hope rain falls as soon as possible to help all farming households."

Currently, Gyeongsangnam-do is facing a shortage of agricultural water due to the drought across the entire province, including Miryang.

According to the Agricultural Drought Management System (ADMS), the average storage rate of agricultural reservoirs in the province stood at 33.3% as of today, reaching only 46.7% of the normal average of 71.3% सावंत.

Among the 18 cities and counties in the province, all areas except Hamyang are under agricultural water drought stages, with Miryang, Geoje, and Haman facing the highest "Severe" stage.

The agricultural water drought stages are divided into four levels based on the reservoir storage rate compared to normal years: "Interest" (70% or below), "Caution" (60% or below), "Alert" (50% or below), and "Severe" (40% or below).

The reservoir storage rate in the Miryang area is 25.66%, which is 34.37% of the normal average of 74.65%.

In particular, the storage rates at Miryang Baekan Reservoir and Ungdong Reservoir plummeted to 1.3% and 3.5%, respectively.

In response to this situation, the National Fire Agency issued a national fire mobilization order starting at 8:00 p.m. the previous day at the request of the Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters.

This is the second time a national fire mobilization order has been issued due to drought, following Gangneung, Gangwon-do, in August of last year.

A national fire mobilization order is a measure that mobilizes firefighting forces nationwide when there is a high risk of a disaster or when a disaster occurs and it is deemed difficult to respond with local fire forces alone.

Cho, a fire lieutenant at the Hoengseong Fire Station of the Gangwon Fire Headquarters who visited Miryang today, said, "Last year, Gangwon-do suffered from a severe drought and received help from fire stations across the country, so it feels new and meaningful to come and help Gyeongnam this way this time. Just as the residents of Gangwon-do wisely overcame the crisis, I hope rain falls soon so that the drought issue in Gyeongnam is well resolved."

The city of Miryang also welcomed the national fire mobilization order and expressed its intention to focus on addressing the agricultural water shortage.

Currently, the city is cooperating with the Korea Rural Community Corporation to supply emergency water by installing temporary pumping facilities or operating water spray trucks centered on areas with low reservoir storage rates.

However, as some pumping machines are reportedly broken and non-functional, critics point out that meticulous measures are needed.

A city official said, "As fire stations from across the country have come to help Gyeongnam, we will closely examine areas lacking water to minimize citizens' inconvenience. Since citizens are requesting the development of multiple tube wells, we will quickly establish and implement countermeasures."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.