Japan is one of the smart and hardworking, developed county in the world. The country is a victim of natural disasters very frequently be it flood or earthquake. But, their readiness to face and move ahead with their daily life is remarkable. One such innovative flood management control is the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (MAOUDC), built-in Tokyo. This infrastructure is commonly termed as ‘underground temple’ or ‘underground cathedral’ or ‘G-can’ as the tunnel is too huge. Here are few facts about the world’s largest tunnel and storage systems.
Sci-fic thriller scene
The infrastructure is 6.3 km long system of tunnels. It is a $2.6 bn engineering marvel.
Resolving the problem
Japan has witnessed the problem of floods for decades. In 1991, Japan was hit by Typhoon Mireilles that destroyed 30,000 homes and 100 square kilometres. This destruction led to the thought of building such a huge tunnel.
The project
A lot of research was made to find a permanent solution for flood damage control. This resulted in a G-can project that commenced in the year 1993. It took 13 years to finish this project.
Best flood control system
This lies 165 feet below Kasukabe, a city near Tokyo. The MAOUDC can clear up to 7,000 cubic feet of water every second. This time-space is faster than to drain an Olympic swimming pool in just 12 seconds.
Calculating measurement
The infrastructure consists of 6.4 km of tunnels up to 50 m underground connecting five giant silos 65 km high and 32 m wide to one massive tank the ‘Underground Temple’. This surge tank measures about 25.4 m high, 177 m long, and 78 m wide, with the roof supported by 59 pillars.
Aftermath
Overflow from rivers throughout the area pours into the silos, nearly seven times a year. Tokyo is protected from floods by the four turbines of the facility, each with 14,000 horsepower, sending the water into the Edo river, which flows into Tokyo Bay.
Natural disaster management
Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. It has been accustomed to investing in protection against natural disasters. The country invested 6- 7% of its national budget in disaster prevention, even at the recovery period of the Second World War.
The underground temple doesn’t refer to a place of worship but it is saving millions of lives and homes of Japan. It serves as an inspirational model for other countries like India, Bangladesh, and Nepal who are currently under flood threat.
