Special Interview: HONG Moon-Pyo, CEO of 'Korea Rural Community Corporation'
Among subsidiary parts of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, it is 'farmland remodeling work' that is gaining explosive responses except river restoration. Reporter met Mr. Hong, the CEO of 'KRCC (Korean Rural Community Corporation)' and listened to what is going on the farmland remodeling which is anticipated to solve the long-cherished desire of lowland farmers having worried as it both rains or not.
It is heard that KRCC is taking heavy responsibility related with farmland. Can you fill us concretely in on that?
We KRCC are presently taking part in reservoir embankment for agricultural purpose, structure enhancement work on estuary barrage of the Yeongsan River and farmland remodeling works. There are about 17,600 reservoirs nationwide and 96 amongst them are located in the basin of the four rivers. By raising the embankment to enlarge the water holding capacity, additional amount of water retention will come to be secured in 250 million ton as water resource.
Farm remodeling work is the key enterprise which dredged soils from the four major rivers would be utilized by mounding on riparian lowland for flood prevention. Approximately 76 million m2 arable fields are to be raises average 2.6 meter higher than before with allocation of KRW 1.2 trillion budget just in farmland remodeling work.
Additionally, the work on estuary barrage of the Yeongsan River can be classified into flood prevention work. The basin of Yeongsan River is known as flood-prone area. Unless the inundated water could be flushed away through sluice gate, its inland area would be apparently wreaked havoc with inundation. In extension to that, we become to prevent inundation by expanding amount of momentary discharge of influx and by broaden the waterways between freshwater lakes like the Yeongam Lake, the Yeongsan lake and the Geumho lake.
Tell us about the scale and the degree of advancement in farmland remodeling work.
It is needed 220 million m3 soils to mound ground 76 million m2 of total 149 districts. That amount of soils corresponds to 42% out of 520 million m3 generated from dredge.
The Nakdong River ranks the top as 122 places of total 62,254 m2 area with refillment of 195,928 m3; the Geum River of 19 spots 8,224 m2 with 12,000 m3; the Yeongsan River of 6 spots 4,770 m2 with 8,600 m3; and the Han River of 2 places 467 m2 with 1970 m3. Comparing to the past relentless worries, new agricultural environment would have been in everlastingly safe condition.
As of July 15th, into 92 districts, we have brought in 45 million m3 of dredge soil corresponding to 21% of scheduled to be carried. As to the carries of dredge soil for the remodeling work districts on the Han River, Geum River and Yeongsan River, the convoys are to be finished until the end of the year. Regarding to the
Nakdong River districts, the process will be accomplished up to more than 60% by the end of this year to be finished within next year of 2011.
What kind of districts is entitled to be chosen?
The selection of target district for farmland remodeling is finally done by the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affair, through survey by KRCC (Korea Rural Community Corporation), the main implementer, and local municipalities. It will be considered the places that are: concentrated with farmland; usable by field-unit; potentially pertaining the effect of flood prevention; well-equipped with convenience facilities like water pipes, farm roads to ease the remodeling work.
It is heard that are rush of civil complaints claiming additional designation for the remodeling work.
From many regions, request for additional designation for the work are incoming. Since not only rice farming but also specialized crops are possible to grow thanks to successful programs for prevention lowland inundation and improvement for agricultural environment, lots of lowland farmers crave the supplementary announcement. Because of previously designed and allocated along the amount of dredge, supplementary designation is not available at this moment. However in case that there are changes in the amount of dredge or utilization plan for them, we will discuss with the Ministry of Land Transportation and Maritime Affair for further designation. Supplementary candidates in future are to be designated under overall consideration for position of newly dredged soils, civil complaints and damage of inundation.
Does it become barren if it gets dredged soils over them?
Generally in readjustment of arable land, available depth of soil suitable for plant growth is defined as more than 30 cm. But in this project, we set it as more than 50 cm, so we are to scoop up original fertile soils in 50cm depth, lay dredged soils to mound the ground and later cover again with original soils. Fifty centimeter is sufficient depth for plant growth. Under the supervision of Rural Development Administration, we will execute survey on soil health condition by respective district of work to prepare countermeasures to compensate for the change of agricultural environment.
What effects can we anticipate for after the farmland remodeling?
Basically it will be prevention of inundation. Since we install agricultural products infrastructure like irrigation and drainage canals, environment for farming would be improved. The important thing is, especially, the agricultural environment could be shifted into diversification like specialized crops and facility horticulture, then ultimately raising the value of farming lands. After mounding the field, we run parallel with readjustment of arable land. In case the land owners want, we will make the land readjust in square shape for utilization convenience.
