An official from the Shihmen Reservoir Management Center has lent weight to a claim by a former Water Resources Agency official that additional construction work on the dam to ease Taoyuan County's water-supply problems may damage the structure.
The latest controversy to hit the government over the irregular supply of water to the Taoyuan area was sparked by a letter to a local newspaper by a former Water Resources Agency official, who said that the dam was in danger of collapsing because of the additional pressure placed on it.
Premier Frank Hsieh (
"Whether or not damage will result shall be assessed by the appropriate government offices and water-resource experts," Hsieh said. "According to what I have been told, the dam is safe at this time. However, we mustn't be complacent."
Hsieh made his remarks after a reporter asked him if the dam had been damaged after technicians installed extra pipes and other equipment on top of the structure.
"A new leak was detected after our technicians performed a detailed check of the structure," management center director Chien Chao-chun (簡昭群) said.
"The pipes themselves are fine. But other equipment attached to the top of the dam could damage the entire structure, even though the report said that the dam is fine," Chien said.
PUNISHMENT
Meanwhile, regarding the possible punishment of Ministry of Economic Affairs officials over Taoyuan's water woes, Hsieh said that political concerns should be disregarded when punishments are discussed.
"If we want to punish someone, it will be the appropriate person. We cannot let someone step down out of political concerns and we cannot punish someone for the same reason," he said.
Hsieh said that after discussing the matter with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), he would announce disciplinary measures in relation to the problem at today's Cabinet meeting.
In recent days, Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (何美玥), Water Resources Agency Director-General Chen Shen-hsien (陳伸賢) and Taiwan Water Corporation chairman Lee Wen-liang (李文良) have offered to resign over the water controversy.
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