A 170m stretch of the Gangweigou River (港尾溝溪) flood-diversion channel in Greater Tainan collapsed in the early hours of Friday after torrential rains that hit the south on Tuesday, prompting concerns over the sturdiness of the structure, which had been inaugurated three weeks ago.
The Gangweigou diversion channel, constructed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency, spans 3.8km and cost about NT$1.5 billion (US$49.9 million). The project was launched in March 2012 and was only recently completed, with an inauguration ceremony held on July 26 this year.
The Water Resources Agency’s Sixth River Management Office yesterday said it would complete emergency repair tasks in the ruptured area before Wednesday.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
Sixth River Management Office director Tsai Tsung-hsien (蔡宗憲) said the Gangweigou diversion channel was designed to withstand 175 tonnes of water per second, as seen in once-a-generation events. However, the rainwater in the channel on Tuesday flowed as rapidly as 250 tonnes per second, resulting in structural damage, he said.
Unconvinced, Greater Tainan City Councilor Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) of the Democratic Progressive Party said the flood-diversion channel was “the most expensive ‘tofu-dreg’ project in history,” adding that it could endanger the nearby National Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1).
He also called into question the soundness of the construction materials used in the channel, alleging that contractors may have cut corners during construction and demanding that authorities investigate.
Tsai responded to Wang’s suspicions by saying that the flood-diversion channel was built of concrete sheet piles, which are bound together by a cap beam.
He also denied that the facility would pose a threat to the nearby freeway, saying there is about 10m of space between the two.
Meanwhile, Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) interceded for the Water Resources Agency, saying the channel served its purpose because it prevented the Baoan Industrial Zone (保安工業區) from flooding.
Although some problems have occured following the wet weather, the facility is still “under warranty” and the city government would demand that the contractor fix it as soon as possible, he said, adding that no extra payment will be made by the city government for repairs.
However, some residents near the channel said they had noticed a deformity in its structure before the storms, saying the catchment basin had begun slanting as early as Aug. 8, which they said could have resulted from the concrete sheet piles having bases that are too shallow.
The Water Resources Agency said it would perform a thorough investigation along the canal and would demand compensation from its contractors if they were found to be responsible.
The Gangweigou diversion channel was built to prevent the Gangweigou River from flooding the low-lying Rende District (仁德) — near where it joins the Erjen River (二仁溪) — and is said to be capable of reducing a flood-prone area by 626 hectares.
Additional Reporting by Tsai Wen-chu
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
CHINA’s BULLYING: The former British prime minister said that he believes ‘Taiwan can and will’ protect its freedom and democracy, as its people are lovers of liberty Former British prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday said Western nations should have the courage to stand with and deepen their economic partnerships with Taiwan in the face of China’s intensified pressure. He made the remarks at the ninth Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation in Taipei. Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, said he had seen Taiwan’s coastline on a screen on his indoor bicycle, but wanted to learn more about the nation, including its artificial intelligence (AI) development, the key technology of the 21st century. Calling himself an
South Korea yesterday said that it was removing loudspeakers used to blare K-pop and news reports to North Korea, as the new administration in Seoul tries to ease tensions with its bellicose neighbor. The nations, still technically at war, had already halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone, Seoul’s military said in June after the election of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. It said in June that Pyongyang stopped transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border that had become a major nuisance for South Korean residents, a day after South Korea’s loudspeakers fell silent. “Starting today, the military has begun removing the loudspeakers,”
RSS