Premier warns of mudslides

Entire villages might have to be relocated if they are in mountainous areas that experience frequent flooding and mudslides, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday. Speaking at a working review of the Council for Economic Planning and Development on land conservation and prevention of landslides and mudslides, Yu said some areas, particularly in the mountains, have been severely damaged because of the 921 earthquake and are not expected to return to normal for another 40 years. In some areas, landslides and mudslides have been occurring annually since the quake and there seems to be nothing that can be done except relocate the residents. Yu requested that the ministries of the interior and transportation and commu-nications and the Council of Agriculture and Council of Aboriginal Affairs study the problems of those areas to prevent further damage by quakes or mudslides.