The Control Yuan began its investigation yesterday into Taipei's poor performance during Typhoon Nari, which pounded northern Taiwan in September and caused damage estimated at NT$10 billion.
In particular, the Control Yuan plans to take a hard look at the Yucheng pumping station -- which is meant to prevent flooding along the Keelung River and broke down during the storm.
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) staunchly defended the city's performance yesterday, saying Taipei had taken adequate precautions but was surprised by a greater-than-expected amount of rain.
He promised to "take full responsibility" for any shortcomings on the city's part.
Speaking to reporters after the investigation's first hearing yesterday, Ma pledged the city government's full cooperation during the probe. "I will take full responsibility," he added.
A special investigation committee consisting of Control Yuan members Chao Ron-yaw (
Much of the hearing focused on the Yucheng pumping station's breakdown and the flooding of the MRT system.
Ma told the committee that Taipei had done what it could to prevent flooding and that after the devastation, the city had done its best to clean up and rebuild.
"I believe all city government employees did their best," Ma told reporters. "The rainfall was simply greater than we expected. This will be the answer from me for as long as the committee asks."
The Yucheng station was built to pump water from the Keelung River if it rose too high. The station was said to be the most advanced and largest in Asia when it was first built in the 1980s. The station contains seven massive pumps.
During Typhoon Nari, station workers activated all seven machines to head off the rising Keelung River.
But after seven hours workers turned off the seven pumps to prevent them from overheating, in accordance with regulations. A few minutes later, all seven pumps were flooded.
The Control Yuan committee noted that another seven pumping stations along the Keelung had flooded before the Yucheng station.
This should have been enough indication for workers to realize that flooding was imminent -- and react accordingly.
"Those workers were following the drill," Ma said in response to the committee's questions as to why workers had elected to turn off the pumps at a critical moment.
The Control Yuan investigation will also take a look at damage to the MRT system during the storm.
On Sept. 26, Taipei City councilors Chen Li-hui (陳孋輝) and Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) showed reporters a 6m2 hole in the basement of the MRT's Chunghsiao-Fuhsing station.
The Department of Rapid Transit Systems has said the hole was where water entered and flooded the station during Typhoon Nari.
Water from the hole and the Kunyang station was the cause of flooding along the entire line.
Chang Pei-yi (張培義), deputy chief of the rapid transit department, has said that contractor Kung-hsin Construction failed to fill in the hole with reinforced concrete as it was supposed to when the station was built.
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