It would cost about NT$1 billion (US$30.89 million) to restore Taroko National Park after it was severely damaged by a massive quake on April 3, Minister of Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee on reconstruction after the earthquake, Lin said that several hiking trails, facilities and structures in the mountainous park were severely damaged by the temblor, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale.
Based on preliminary estimates, the cost of restoring portions of the park that are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior would be more than NT$1 billion, Lin said, without offering any further specifics and what exactly that funding would cover.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
However, the estimate does not cover repairs to the main traffic artery that runs through the park — the Central Cross-island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 8) — which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
More accurate estimates would not be available until a damage assessment is completed in about two weeks, Lin said, attributing the slow process to the many aftershocks in the area that have made surveying it difficult.
Taroko National Park stretches from the northern Hualien County coast as far inland as Hehuanshan (合歡山) near the border of Hualien and Nantou counties.
It is best known for the stunning Taroko Gorge and the cross-island highway along the Liwu River (立霧溪) that cut through it. The gorge and nearby trails were buried in landslides and rockslides triggered by the quake, killing several hikers.
Although access to the gorge remains closed, the interior ministry said the western parts of the park near Hehuanshan have reopened.
As for funding in the wake of the disaster, Lin said the central government allotted NT$300 million to the Hualien County Government to meet immediate needs, and is now assessing post-disaster shelter and housing reconstruction needs.
Some of the expenditures are to be covered by the existing disaster response budget and by funds collected through donations, and the government would only consider setting up a special budget if the funds are not sufficient, Lin said.
He was responding to legislators’ questions about whether a temporary regulation similar to the defunct Temporary Statute for 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Reconstruction would be introduced.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said in a statement that as of 7am yesterday, donations exceeding NT$900 million have poured into local accounts for earthquake relief.
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