Ministry of Environment proposes deconstruction of 3 weirs built under Four Major Rivers Restoration Project

4대강 세종보•공주보•죽산보 해체한다The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project has been the subject of much controversy over the years.After conducting thorough inspections, the environment ministry proposed the deconstruction of three weirs created as part of that project,... for economic and safety reasons.KIM Da-mi has the latest. A plan to remove three weirs that were constructed as part of the The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project has been proposed on Friday. According to the plan by Ministry of Environment’s inspection committee, Sejong weir on the Geumgang River and Juksan weir on the Yeongsangang River will be completely deconstructed, along with the partial deconstruction of the Gongju weir on the Geumgang River. "The main factors in deciding whether to remove or keep the weirs were economic efficiency and safety." Through its analysis, the committee has concluded that maintenance costs for the Sejong weir and Juksan weir are relatively high whereas removal of the weirs will instead improve the water quality. For instance, the maintenance costs after the deconstruction of Sejong weir are three times lower. The Four Rivers Restoration Project, envisioned by former President Lee Myung-bak back in 2008, was reportedly designed to revitalize the country's four largest rivers, The Hangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang and Yeongsangang rivers. However, flaws in the 20-billion U.S. dollar project such as poor construction have led to investigations and now the proposed deconstruction of some parts of the project. The final decision on the three weirs will be determined by the National Water Management Committee this June. KIM Da-mi, Arirang News.