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Government mobilizes response to torrential rains

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Premier Sean Chen on June 10 instructed central and local government agencies to mobilize relief efforts as torrential rains continued to pound parts of southern Taiwan. He also asked the public to cooperate in precautionary and evacuation measures so as to minimize damage from the flooding.

As heavy rains on the 10th soaked central as well as southern Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), and the Council of Agriculture (COA) have all established level-2 flood response centers. In particular, the MND's fourth and fifth combat teams have deployed necessary personnel, machinery and equipment; the MOEA has dispatched water pumps to vulnerable locations and issued flood warnings in 32 areas; the COA's Soil and Water Conservation Bureau has issued 66 "red" and 63 "yellow" alerts for rivers at high risk of mudslides; and firefighting and water-conservation agencies of Pingtung County, Kaohsiung City and Tainan City have all set up level-2 response centers to take immediate action in case of emergencies.

As of 4 p.m. that day, 22 of 39 locations in southern Taiwan had been relieved of floodwaters with 17 sites still being cleared. In Pingtung County, Linbian Township had requested five mobile water pumps from the MOEA's Water Resources Agency. Meanwhile, four roadways had been damaged by flooding while eight others were closed out of caution. A total of 532 people had been evacuated (11 from Namaxia and 49 from Taoyuan townships in Kaohsiung City, and 472 from Laiyi Township in Pingtung County), while 29 people from Pingtung County and 14 from Tainan City were placed in temporary shelters.

The Executive Yuan also warned the public to be wary of landslides, especially after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Yilan's coast early morning on June 10. As the Central Weather Bureau is expecting the precipitation to continue for several more days, the public is urged to avoid mountain areas or aquatic activities.

In anticipation of the rainy season, Premier Chen has over the past few weeks reminded government agencies to be on the alert. In addition to asking the MOEA to check that local governments were properly equipped to handle flooding, the premier also asked the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), MOTC, COA and MND to ensure that their subordinate agencies began preparation work well in advance, and to support local governments where needed.

While the nation's newer sewerage systems have improved designs, Chen noted, some of the earlier rainwater systems are not able to process as large volumes of water, creating incompatibility problems where new pipes meet old. The MOEA and MOI have been asked to oversee this issue and to work in coordination with local governments at all levels to remedy the situation.

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