Premier Sean Chen toured Taoyuan City on June 13 to inspect cleanup operations by military personnel as the area recovers from torrential rain-induced flooding.
The premier instructed troops cleaning up flooded building basements to prioritize the work in stages: pump water first, clean out mud and debris, and then disinfect. He also asked the Environmental Protection Administration, the Water Resources Agency (WRA) and local governments to provide affected citizens with disinfection assistance and relief subsidies.
Though the number of rainy days per year has decreased in recent years, Chen noted, the amount of overall rainfall has been increasing with heavy downpours becoming more frequent. The government must change the way it thinks about and handles drainage and flood control, he added.
The premier has emphasized several times in Cabinet meetings the imperative of improving compatibility of the nation's new and old drainage systems. The WRA has been instructed to collaborate with local governments on the matter. Aside from climate change, high urban population density is also a key contributor to floodings, warranting adjustments to urban planning concepts, the premier added.
As for Typhoon Guchol, which formed on June 12 and is currently traveling an uncertain path, central government agencies have taken full precautions and are standing by to provide local authorities with the resources they need. Precipitation measurement radars will also be purchased and utilized with data from the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) and the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction to increase accuracy in weather forecasts for small areas.
Premier Chen visited Taoyuan City alongside Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lin Yi-shih and Spokesman Hu Yu-wei; Minister of Research, Development and Evaluation Chu Chin-peng; and Taoyuan City Mayor Su Jia-min. The premier later accompanied President Ma Ying-jeou to the CWB for briefing.