"Blocked, Water Overflows" Drainage Facility Complaints Up 1.6 Times in First Half of the Year... More Than Half in the Capital Region

[Financial News] Complaints about drainage facilities in the first half of this year increased by 1.6 times compared to the same period last year, mainly in the capital region. Related complaints in Seoul have already surpassed last year's annual number of complaints in the first half of this year. Most of the complaints were report-type, requesting maintenance due to poor drainage on roads and sidewalks, while complaints pointing out blockages caused by cigarette butts, leaves, soil, etc., including pre- and post-measures, continued.
 The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission analyzed 20,604 complaints related to 'rainwater catch basins, stormwater pipes, and other drainage facilities' collected in the complaint information analysis system over 1 year and 6 months from January last year to the first half of this year, and announced on the 17th that an average of 1,479 drainage facility complaints occurred monthly this year. This is about 1.5 times the monthly average (978 cases) last year. Complaints related to drainage facilities in the first half of this year increased by 1.6 times compared to the same period last year.
 More than half of all drainage facility complaints in the first half of this year were concentrated in the capital region, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. Among them, Seoul was the only local government in the country where the number of complaints in the first half of this year (3,809 cases) exceeded the annual number of complaints last year (3,284 cases).
 The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission analyzed the types of complaints related to drainage facilities and found that most of the complaints were report-type, requesting maintenance due to poor drainage or concerns about flooding on roads or sidewalks.
 In addition, there were requests for pre-measures such as removing accumulated leaves or replacing rainwater catch basins to prevent garbage from entering, post-measures such as expanding or installing new drainage facilities, and strong requests for crackdowns on illegal dumping of cigarette butts causing blockages.
 Yu Cheol-hwan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "Complaints related to drainage facilities are not just simple inconvenience reports, but important signals that detect elements threatening public safety early," and added, "We will continue to listen to the voices of the public and do our best to prevent repeated inconveniences and damages in advance."

jhyuk@fnnews.com Kim Jun-hyuk Reporter