The government is set to expand the scope of water rationing and prepare rain-inducing measures as it struggles to tackle the issue of dwindling water reserves.
Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said yesterday that the government would impose a second phase of water rationing in parts of New Taipei City (新北市), Taoyuan and Hsinchu counties on Wednesday next week and extend the measure to Miaoli County, Greater Taichung, northern Changhua City, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung on May 23.
The first phase of water rationing was implemented on April 1 in northern and central Taiwan.
INCONVENIENCE
Shih said the government hoped it would not have to impose “a third phase of water rationing next month because it would greatly inconvenience the public.”
Shih made the remarks at the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee meeting as he explained the ministry’s proposed solutions to the water shortage.
Under the second-phase water-rationing plan, water for fountains and other non-essential uses, such as for cleaning streets, ditches and building exteriors, would be cut off.
In addition, supplies to swimming pools, car washes, saunas and other operations that use 1,000m3 or more of water per month would be cut by 20 percent, while water supplies for industrial use would be reduced by 5 percent.
Household water use would be restricted under the third-phase water-rationing plan.
Shih said his ministry would also work with the Ministry of National Defense and the Central Weather Bureau to induce rainfall when necessary, but added that the rain would bring limited effects.
He added that the government would strengthen measures to promote water conservation and discuss the possibility of adjusting low water prices.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as KMT chairman, called on the public to join the government’s water conservation efforts.
“The water shortage could become a public security problem if not taken seriously. We should make it a habit to conserve water, gas, electricity and other energy,” he said.
Later yesterday, Ma presided over a meeting with several government agencies to discuss the water shortage. He is scheduled to visit Shimen Reservoir, which supplies water to northern Taiwan.
ROTATION
At a separate setting yesterday, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Hwang Jung-chiou (黃重球) said if the nation’s worst drought in eight years persists until the end of next month, water supply to various areas of the country would have to be rotated.
This would constitute a third phase of water rationing, Hwang said.
There is usually no need to implement third-stage water rationing in the middle of the year, Hwang said, but this year could even potentially see a fourth phase of measures, which would involve supplying water only at designated times and places.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Agency Deputy Director-General Wu Yueh-hsi (吳約西) said the agency was mulling increasing water usage fees during the dry season for big water users and giving subsidies to low water users, low-income households and underprivileged groups.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
Nvidia Corp yesterday unveiled its new high-speed interconnect technology, NVLink Fusion, with Taiwanese application-specific IC (ASIC) designers Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) among the first to adopt the technology to help build semi-custom artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure for hyperscalers. Nvidia has opened its technology to outside users, as hyperscalers and cloud service providers are building their own cost-effective AI chips, or accelerators, used in AI servers by leveraging ASIC firms’ designing capabilities to reduce their dependence on Nvidia. Previously, NVLink technology was only available for Nvidia’s own AI platform. “NVLink Fusion opens Nvidia’s AI platform and rich ecosystem for
WARNING: From Jan. 1 last year to the end of last month, 89 Taiwanese have gone missing or been detained in China, the MAC said, urging people to carefully consider travel to China Lax enforcement had made virtually moot regulations banning civil servants from making unauthorized visits to China, the Control Yuan said yesterday. Several agencies allowed personnel to travel to China after they submitted explanations for the trip written using artificial intelligence or provided no reason at all, the Control Yuan said in a statement, following an investigation headed by Control Yuan member Lin Wen-cheng (林文程). The probe identified 318 civil servants who traveled to China without permission in the past 10 years, but the true number could be close to 1,000, the Control Yuan said. The public employees investigated were not engaged in national
ALL TOGETHER: Only by including Taiwan can the WHA fully exemplify its commitment to ‘One World for Health,’ the representative offices of eight nations in Taiwan said The representative offices in Taiwan of eight nations yesterday issued a joint statement reiterating their support for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement with the WHO and for Taipei’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA). The joint statement came as Taiwan has not received an invitation to this year’s WHA, which started yesterday and runs until Tuesday next week. This year’s meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, would be the ninth consecutive year Taiwan has been excluded. The eight offices, which reaffirmed their support for Taiwan, are the British Office Taipei, the Australian Office Taipei, the
CAUSE AND EFFECT: China’s policies prompted the US to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific, and Beijing should consider if this outcome is in its best interests, Lai said China has been escalating its military and political pressure on Taiwan for many years, but should reflect on this strategy and think about what is really in its best interest, President William Lai (賴清德) said. Lai made the remark in a YouTube interview with Mindi World News that was broadcast on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary of his presidential inauguration tomorrow. The US has clearly stated that China is its biggest challenge and threat, with US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeatedly saying that the US should increase its forces in the Indo-Pacific region
RSS