The Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Bureau reiterated calls for improved rainwater drainage systems along city roads, which it had first suggested in a report last month.
The bureau released a report after torrential rains caused serious flooding along Section 5 of Taipei’s Zhongxiao E Road on June 4. It called for an amendment to municipal roadworks regulations that would require city construction bureaus to install improved drainage systems along major roads.
The issue was brought up again after Taipei and New Taipei City on Friday issued flood warnings due to continuous heavy rain from Typhoon In-Fa.
In the bureau’s latest report, released on July 8, it said that drains in Taipei are only able to handle up to 78.8mm of rain, which was greatly exceeded on June 4 when rainfall reached 129mm.
Cities nationwide should also improve their capacity for storing rainwater, given frequent water shortages in the past few years due to climate change, the report said.
“There have been plans in Taiwan since the 1970s to improve drainage systems. This was included in the annual budget since 1991, when the issue was to be handled along with city planning,” it said.
Rapid economic growth at the time resulted in land managed for agricultural purposes being used for residential and commercial properties, which meant that drainage issues quickly overwhelmed systems already built by city planners, it said.
Cities should account for the change in circumstances from when city plans were first drafted, and ensure drainage systems are improved to facilitate the collection and storage of rainwater, and the natural runoff of excess water, it said, adding that city construction bureaus should also ensure drainage systems can deal with sludge that clogs drainage pipes.
Paving roads with permeable concrete, which allows water to pass through to the soil, could also help prevent roads from flooding, it said.
Although such concrete is less resistant to damage from vehicles, it could be used on roads with light traffic, while other roads could be lined with vegetation or divided with a grassy center to help absorb rainwater, it said.
Trees could be planted deeper and soil surface areas reduced to prevent roadside trees from toppling during typhoons and presenting a risk to drivers and pedestrians, it said.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS