[Anchor]

As the drought continues, the national fire mobilization order providing water supply support to the South Gyeongsang Province region has been extended for the time being. Even military units have been deployed to spray water, but the situation remains difficult as the number of regions entering the "severe" drought stage has increased to five.

[Reporter]

On yesterday (the 13th), the second day of the national fire mobilization order, 200 fire engines gathered from across the country supplied over 7,600 tons of water to fields and farms throughout South Gyeongsang Province.

About 20 vehicles from the South Gyeongsang Fire Headquarters also joined the water supply support efforts.

In Haman, the Army deployed 15 water tankers and about 40 troops to help resolve the drought.

[Choi Sung-shik / Commander, 39th Infantry Division Hapcheon-Haman-Uiryeong Battalion, ROK Army: These are vehicles used for military operations and CBRN support during wartime. Water tankers have been deployed to support civilians.]

As water gushed like a waterfall into the dry irrigation channels, farmers could not take their eyes off the sight.

[Jung Chang-baek / Haman-gun, South Gyeongsang Province: Water has been gushing out for about 15 days. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my chest.]

However, the water shortage is worsening due to the prolonged drought.

With Hamyang entering the agricultural drought "interest" stage yesterday, the entire South Gyeongsang Province region has now entered drought stages.

Uiryeong and Changnyeong, which were previously at the "caution" stage, have been upgraded to the "severe" stage, bringing the total number of "severe" areas to five.

The average reservoir water storage rate in South Gyeongsang Province remains at 32.8%.

Requests for water supply support are continuing even for livestock barns.

Right beside me, more than 20,000 pigs live in this livestock barn.

As drinking water for these pigs became scarce, firefighters who completed strict quarantine procedures stepped in to provide water support.

[Kang Byung-soo / Firefighter, Prevention Division, Yangsan Fire Station: We mostly provide water support to places like fields and farms, and barns are rare. Coming out to the site, the water volume is very insufficient, and the situation seems more severe than expected.]

Ultimately, the National Fire Agency decided to extend the national fire mobilization order, which was originally set to end yesterday, for the time being.

The Navy, Air Force, and Korea Forest Service also plan to deploy water supply support soon.

The fire authorities plan to determine whether to lift the national fire mobilization order by monitoring precipitation and reservoir water storage rates if the drought situation improves.

(Video by Jung Kyoung-moon)