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
FORCED LABOR: A US court listed three Taiwanese and nine firms based in Taiwan in its indictment, with eight of the companies registered at the same address Nine companies registered in Taiwan, as well as three Taiwanese, on Tuesday were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) as a result of a US federal court indictment. The indictment unsealed at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, said that Chen Zhi (陳志), a dual Cambodian-British national, is being indicted for fraud conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding Group’s forced-labor scam camps in Cambodia. At its peak, the company allegedly made US$30 million per day, court documents showed. The US government has seized Chen’s noncustodial wallet, which contains
SUPPLY CHAIN: Taiwan’s advantages in the drone industry include rapid production capacity that is independent of Chinese-made parts, the economic ministry said The Executive Yuan yesterday approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion (US$1.44 billion) into domestic production of uncrewed aerial vehicles over the next six years, bringing Taiwan’s output value to more than NT$40 billion by 2030 and making the nation Asia’s democratic hub for the drone supply chain. The proposed budget has NT$33.8 billion in new allocations and NT$10.43 billion in existing funds, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Under the new development program, the public sector would purchase nearly 100,000 drones, of which 50,898 would be for civil and government use, while 48,750 would be for national defense, it said. The Ministry of
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
NINE-IN-ONE ELECTIONS: Prosecutors’ offices recorded 115 cases of alleged foreign interference in the presidential election campaign from August 2023 to Dec. 13 last year The National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday said that it has begun planning early to counter Chinese interference in next year’s nine-in-one elections as its intelligence shows that Beijing might intensify its tactics, while warning of continued efforts to infiltrate the government and military. The bureau submitted a report to the Legislative Yuan ahead of a meeting today of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. “We will research situations in different localities and keep track of abnormalities to ensure that next year’s elections proceed without disruption,” the bureau said. Although the project is generally launched during election years, reports of alleged Chinese interference
RSS