The newly built Hushan Reservoir (湖山水庫) in southern Taiwan is expected to become operational in July, supplying water to Yunlin County, which has a land subsidence problem caused by groundwater overdraft, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency.
Last year, 75 percent of the land subsidence in Taiwan occurred in Yunlin over a 600km2 area, agency director-general Wang Ruei-de (王瑞德) said.
The groundwater overdraft problem in Yunlin is expected to ease after Hushan Reservoir starts working at full capacity, he said.
The reservoir, completed in December last year after 14 years of construction, began collecting water on Saturday last week and is scheduled to go into service in July, Wang said.
Built on the largest dam in the nation, it has an optimal capacity of 52.18 million cubic meters and a catchment area of 6.58km2.
Initially, it is to supply about 50,000 tonnes of water per day to consumers, Wang said, adding that it will take another 12 to 18 months before the reservoir starts working at full capacity.
By June next year, water supplied to Yunlin from Hushan Reservoir and the nearby Jiji Dam is expected to reach 432,000 tonnes per day, according to the agency.
Amid growing environmental awareness, there has been speculation that Taiwan will stop building such structures, but agency officials said there are still many suitable areas in the nation to accommodate reservoirs.
However, the agency will not build one without the consent of local residents, the officials said.
During the construction of Hushan Reservoir, work was delayed several times due to issues related to environmental protection and the preservation of historic sites.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS