The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) will spend NT$1 billion (US$31.1 million) over the next three years to clean up Tamsui River (淡水河), which runs through the nation's most densely populated area, officials said.
Minister of the EPA Chang Kow-Lung (張國龍) said his staff has drafted a plan to build seven wastewater processing centers and to finish three ecological engineering projects along the river.
EPA statistics show that 12.9 percent of the river is seriously polluted, down from 21.84 percent two years ago. The three-year plan will focus on cleaning up the polluted sections.
Chang said rivers have been badly polluted because of the lack of adequate sewage and waste-processing stations, which has allowed household and farming wastewater to enter rivers.
He urged local governments to budget funds for sewage systems and waste-processing centers.
Premier Frank Hsieh (
Taiwanese were praised for their composure after a video filmed by Taiwanese tourists capturing the moment a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Aomori Prefecture went viral on social media. The video shows a hotel room shaking violently amid Monday’s quake, with objects falling to the ground. Two Taiwanese began filming with their mobile phones, while two others held the sides of a TV to prevent it from falling. When the shaking stopped, the pair calmly took down the TV and laid it flat on a tatami mat, the video shows. The video also captured the group talking about the safety of their companions bathing
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