Taipei will consider subsidizing private land owners who adopt flood prevention measures, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
“I do not approve of giving out money every time there is a flood because it does not solve the problem,” Ko said.
He made his remarks before listening to a report on new flood control measures planned for the Wenshan District (文山), which saw flooding twice last month.
He said the city had yet to announce a decision on emergency assistance because of ongoing internal discussion over whether money would be better spent on subsidizing flood prevention measures by residents, such as preventing floodwater from entering underground garages.
Ko said that while, in principle, the city government would continue to provide emergency relief for flooding below central government standards, he would prefer to follow a clear legal foundation for the practice, rather than giving out money “randomly” as previous city administrations.
Ko attributed last month’s flooding to unusually high levels of rain that exceeded the capacity of city’s drainage system, but added that upgrading the system to a more rigorous standard would be prohibitively expensive.
Taipei’s Hydraulic Engineering Office said that in addition to levels of rain exceeding city pump capacity, flood control measures for portions of the Wenshan District were still below municipal standards.
Ko added that the Taipei City Fire Department was in the process of determining which areas are most vulnerable to flooding, as well as establishing a group on an instant messaging service to quickly notify borough wardens of flood warnings.
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