Despite a law passed two years ago to preserve part of the Losheng Sanatorium, residents continue to live in fear as cracks — ostensibly caused by construction of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) maintenance depot — continue to appear on walls and the ground.
Located on a hill on the border of Sinjhuang City (新莊), Taipei County, and Gueishan Township (龜山) in Taoyuan County, Lo-sheng Sanatorium was completed in the 1930s to isolate people with Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy. Controversy surrounding the sanatorium’s preservation and residents’ rights surfaced when Taipei Rapid Transit Corp announced it would take over the site, tear down the buildings and flatten part of the hill to make way for an MRT station and maintenance depot.
After years of protest by conservationists, the Executive Yuan’s Public Construction Commission came up with a compromise “plan three” to preserve 39 buildings and rebuild 10 elsewhere after construction of the depot was completed. The plan was known as “the 530 plan” since it was finalized on May 30, 2007.
In 2008, the Human Rights Protection and Compensation Act for People with Hansen’s Disease (漢生病病患人權保障及補償條例) was passed to protect the rights of sufferers and require the government to turn the sanatorium grounds into a historic park.
Unfortunately, passage of the law has not led to the happy ending many expected.
“Look at this, this is a 3cm-wide crack that runs through the church,” said Wang Wei-min (王偉民), a civil engineer and a supporter of the sanatorium’s preservation.
Members of a panel defending the rights of individuals with Hansen’s disease made an inspection tour of the grounds to determine its condition yesterday morning.
“There’s another crack the same size on the other side of the church parallel to this and there are two more outside,” Wang said. “The cracks appeared after construction resumed [in December 2008] and more have appeared in recent months as work has accelerated.”
“Also, all cracks are parallel to the hill section — without exception,” he said.
A hill section is an engineering term referring to the cut of a hill.
In addition to the church, cracks have also appeared at a Buddhist temple and in the main administrative building in the middle and in several residential houses — all along the hill section.
“You can see that some of the cracks have been sealed with concrete, but cracked again. Many of them appeared only last month,” Wang said. “It’s not that big a deal if cracks appeared at the beginning of construction, but when they continue to appear, it’s a sign that the ground may be sliding.”
Wang said a massive landslide would not only endanger the lives of Losheng residents, but also those of construction workers and Sinjhuang residents.
MRT North District Project Office director Wu Pei-jeen (吳沛軫) admitted cracks were appearing, but said they were within the normal range of construction damage.
“We’re closely monitoring the development of cracks and so far, we think everything is still under control,” Wu said. “When the construction is completed, we will repair the buildings.”
Asked whether a massive landslide could occur, Wu said no one could say for sure.
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