The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a budget to expedite an existing drainage improvement project, reducing the time from six to four years amid serious flooding in central and southern Taiwan.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ amended plan to improve rivers and drainage systems in response to climate change was approved by the Executive Yuan with total funding of NT$10 billion (US$334 million).
The project is to focus on expediting overall planning, promoting runoff distribution projects, introducing more flood detention facilities, providing greater protection to villages and townships, and increasing the rate and speed of water pumping.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
Specific measures would include one-time approval for projects involving critical water systems that would be implemented across multiple years, improving existing facilities, purchasing additional and replacing outdated mobile pumps, and assisting local governments to implement carbon reduction measures.
The project would provide greater assistance to local governments on top of previous government projects, such as the 2023 improvement project for Tainan’s Sanye River (三爺溪), which always floods during severe precipitation due to siltation and low embankments, the project report says.
RECONSTRUCTION
Also yesterday, the Legislative Yuan’s ruling and opposition caucuses requested that the Executive Yuan submit a post-disaster reconstruction bill next week.
The Legislative Yuan on Tuesday approved the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) request for a second reading of the Typhoon Danas recovery bill, leading to yesterday’s cross-party negotiations chaired by KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁).
Typhoon Danas and subsequent storms have damaged more than 30,000 homes, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said.
The Executive Yuan would propose a special spending plan to accelerate recovery and reconstruction efforts in hard-hit areas, Cho said.
People who have been affected can wait no longer and the government must step in to support them, Fu said.
Although the typhoon hit southwestern Taiwan on July 6, the Executive Yuan did not officially establish a command post until Tuesday, Fu said.
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that Cho has announced the Executive Yuan’s plans to submit a proposal as soon as possible.
She added that she expects the Legislative Yuan to quickly pass the proposal in the middle of this month.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislatore Chang Chi-kai (張?楷) said that the party caucus is drafting a proposal that would specify subsidies for damaged properties, garbage removal and other areas of need.
The Executive Yuan would work to meet Wu’s proposed timeline and review the measures that legislators have already put forward, Executive Yuan Deputy Secretary-General Lee Guo-hsing (李國興) said.
As of Wednesday, the public donation account had received NT$93.1 million for disaster relief efforts.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday last week opened a special account for disaster relief donations, with the account expected to be available until Aug. 20.
All funds raised would be used for relief purposes only, with a detailed account of all expenses to be made public after the conclusion of the fundraising, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said.
Donations can be made via Line Pay or machines at the nation’s four major convenience store chains — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart and Hi-Life — the foundation said.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
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