News
Tsai orders fast-tracking of disaster relief
President Tsai Ing-wen is calling on government agencies to fast-track disaster relief efforts in areas affected by the recent heavy rains.
According to the Presidential Office, Tsai has visited the Central Emergency Operation Center and asked the Ministry of Transport to closely monitor the slopes along national highways and train lines and inform people of any closure of roads and bridges.
The Presidential Office says Tsai is calling on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Council of Agriculture to ensure that supplies of produce and basic commodities remain unaffected.
And Tsai is requesting those agencies also take steps to stabilize prices.
While the President says government agencies need to speed up efforts to remove water from flooded areas, to alert people in downstream areas before releasing water from dams, and ensure that the supply of tap water to households is uninterrupted and clean.
The Council of Agriculture says agricultural losses due to the torrential rain that has been battering much of the island for the past several days currently stand at NT$334 million.
According to agriculture officials, papaya crops have been the most affected, with an estimated loss of NT$85.39 million. That's followed by peanut and longan crops, with losses of NT$25.51 million and NT$17.49 million, respectively.
The Council of Agriculture is warning that all those figures are expected to increase as farmers continue to inspect their crops.
