Hong Kong deploys 3 robotic ‘water-pumping dragons’ to drain 24 floods
Multiple robots deployed across the city to drain flooded locations on day when Observatory records heaviest daily rainfall for August since 1884
Hong Kong authorities have deployed three “mobile powerful pumping robots” for the first time to drain at least 24 flooded locations on a day when the city’s forecaster recorded the heaviest daily rainfall for August since 1884.
According to the Drainage Services Department, multiple pumping robots, including three known as “water-pumping dragons” in Chinese, tackled the floods on Tuesday in Pok Fu Lam, Mid-Levels, Admiralty, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin, Sai Kung, Tai Po, Tolo Harbour, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.
The devices operated either in or near the flooded area. They pumped water through a tube measuring about 30cm (one foot) in diameter, passing through the robot and into the nearest storm drain.
Heavy rain battered the city overnight and throughout the day, with the Observatory issuing its second-longest black rainstorm warning on record.
Department director Ringo Mok Wing-cheong said on Monday that authorities had recently acquired two more “water-pumping dragons” after earlier purchasing one in April and being impressed by its capacity. Each can pump 800 cubic metres (28,250 cubic feet) of water an hour.
The one bought in April was part of four robots, including three that were not “water-pumping dragons”, that have a combined pumping capacity of 2,500 cubic metres an hour – about the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. They were acquired for a total of about HK$3 million (US$386,844).