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Deputy mayor explains disaster

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2001, Page 2

Two workers take a break in front of a makeshift drain they dug in a lane in Taipei City's Wenshan district after Typhoon Nari brought mudslides to the area. Local residents hired workers yesterday to dig temporary drainage to prevent more mudslides caused by the heavy rains. PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei Times: Following Typhoon Nari, tropical storm Lekima may bring more heavy rains to Taiwan as the Central Weather Bureau has issued the sea and land warnings. Is Taipei City ready for another typhoon? Do you feel confident about the city's anti-typhoon measures?

Ou Chin-der (歐晉德): I'm not that optimistic about it if we're to have as much rainfall as that brought by Typhoon Nari. One good point, though, is that the Yucheng pumping station is back to providing full service. We're also in the process of increasing the height of its cooling system so it will not be submerged in water as it was when Typhoon Nari struck.

I'm also worried about the low-lying areas of Nankang and Neihu districts since the pumping stations there were not yet fully operational. If, unfortunately, we're to see as much rainfall as was unleashed by Typhoon Nari -- or even possibly more -- we might have to resort to stacking sand bags along the river banks.

TT: A Chinese saying goes: take the experience you learn from the previous failure and use it as a valuable lesson for next time. What did Taipei City learn from the destruction brought by Typhoon Nari?

Ou: We learned that we have to really think about our anti-flooding system, because Typhoon Nari has clearly proven to us that the present system doesn't work. However, improvements may take time.

TT: As you are an engineer yourself, what's your advice on tackling the city's problems of flooding and mudslides?

Ou: The anti-flooding project is a long-term effort but the bottom line is we have to make it stronger. To achieve this goal we need to understand the causes of the problems and how to take care of it.

Our anti-flooding system definitely needs a comprehensive overhaul. Times are changing, so are people, societies, urban development and natural phenomena. Infrastructure built 20 years ago isn't necessarily obsolete, but it may need re-examination or even reconstruction in a bid to solve the problem once and for all.

TT: Many city councilors and political critics have blamed City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou for the crisis, saying that he seems to be more interested in attending social activities than with minding municipal affairs. The mayor himself has also admitted during an interview with the `Taipei Times' that he spends most of his time outside of his office. What are your thoughts on this?

Ou: As a public figure, Mayor Ma is obliged to attend social functions. One of the reasons why people feel the mayor engages in too many social activities may be because such activities receive more media attention than regular meetings.

Although he may spend most of his time outside the office, this could mean that he spends more time on duties like the inspection of municipal infrastructure and talking to the public.

TT: Although Mayor Ma keeps reiterating the importance of the management of hillside areas, we are still seeing more buildings constructed on hillsides. We are also starting to see mudslides occurring within the city. What does the city plan to do to tackle the problem?

Ou: We want to ensure the safety of hillside development as a long-term effort. In other words, the problem cannot be solved overnight. We've been gathering basic information about hillside areas that pose potential or immediate danger. We hope to earmark more funds in the future to speed up the process.

TT: The first wave of an intensive clean-up scheme to clear away garbage left in the wake of Typhoon Nari ended yesterday. What should the public do if more garbage is generated and needs to be disposed of?

Ou: We encourage those who wish to dispose of large-size waterlogged refuse to contact the environmental protection bureau and arrange for free pick-ups. (The 24-hour hot-line is 02-2720-6301)

Those who wish to dispose of industrial waste, however, need to contact private clean-up companies to arrange for pick-ups.
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