Flood and mudflow prevention engineering work around dams created by landslides during the 921 earthquake will be completed within three weeks, Chairman of the Council of Agriculture, Hsi-huang (
During a field inspection of disaster areas in Nantou County yesterday morning -- including the famous landslide dam formed on Chiufenerh Mountain (
"The safety of the barrier lake should not be an issue now because the spillways we originally built have been reinforced," said Chen, referring to the channels that drain excess water that might otherwise cause the dam to overflow during the forthcoming typhoon season.
PHOTO: LIN YOU-HUA, LIBERTY TIMES
"However, vulnerable villages in the lower part of the river must be protected by more fortifications, which will be completed by June 22," he said.
Officials from the council's Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (
"We are conducting engineering works to deal with the invisible deterioration of the dam caused by water erosion of the soil," said the bureau's director-general, Chen Chih-ching (
A number of underground streams have been discovered that surface downhill from the dam.
He said that engineers were also backfilling a number of holes dug after the quake by rescue teams searching for bodies that might have been buried in the landslide.
However, the director admitted he was worried that bad weather might slow the engineering works.
Council chairman Chen said that central Taiwan-based personnel, including forestry and water resources units, would cooperate with a new special commission to be launched on June 1.
The Cabinet-level Post-disaster Reconstruction Commission, composed of about 200 officials based in central Taiwan, was recently re-organized by Premier Tang Fei (
One priority for the commission is providing solutions to mudflow threats in mountainous areas.
Council chairman Chen said yesterday that a NT$200 million budget for supplementary issues had been earmarked for pro-active disaster-prevention measures, including flood and mudflow prevention engineering works.
Chen also visited several townships and villages in Nantou County, where more than 180 sites were listed as dangerously at risk from potential mudflows after the 921 earthquake.
Chen said that he had established 12 teams to manage these sites by building fortifications to prevent floods and mudflows.
Although the water catchments behind the landslide dams have stabilized, Chen said, the council would continue to monitor such sites and a long-term landslide hazard risk assessment and response plan has been developed.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS