Mingli Village Levee Raising Project Completed Ahead of Schedule; WRA Closely Monitors Upstream Sediment in Mataian River

(CNA, Taipei, May 21, Reporter Hsieh Yi-hsuan) Following a complex sediment disaster in the Mataian River caused by typhoons last year, the progress of levee reconstruction has drawn public attention. Water Resources Agency (WRA) Director-General Lin Yuan-peng stated that the 1.8-kilometer levee raising project in Mingli Village, originally scheduled for completion in June this year, was finished ahead of schedule on May 15, following instructions from Premier Cho Jung-tai to expedite the work. Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Chin-tsang, Minister of Agriculture Chen Chun-chi, WRA Director-General Lin Yuan-peng, and Vice Minister of the Interior Wu Tang-an attended a meeting of the Economics Committee to report on the "Progress of Flood and Disaster Prevention Engineering Preparations for the Flood Season in All Counties and Cities, and Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Work of the Mataian River Barrier Lake in Hualien," as well as budget utilization, and to answer questions. In a media interview before the meeting, WRA Director-General Lin Yuan-peng said that following the flooding in Guangfu and Mingli villages caused by typhoons on September 23 last year, the Guangfu levee was completed on April 15, achieving an initial stage of protection, with efforts to build higher-standard levees in the future. The 1.8-kilometer levee raising project in Mingli Village has just been reported as completed. Lin stated that river dredging has also reached 22 million cubic meters, restoring the river channel to its pre-typhoon condition. The river's current flood-carrying capacity is normal. However, about 200 million cubic meters of sediment remain upstream, requiring the concerted efforts of various ministries. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, and related agencies will continue to monitor the river channel and take various response measures. During questioning, Taiwan People's Party Legislator Hung Yu-hsiang expressed concern about the disposal of dredged earth. Public Construction Commission Deputy Minister Lee Yi-te stated that some of the material from the Mataian and Hualien rivers is being used for on-site projects to thicken and raise existing levees. The remainder is being piled in an open area in Fenglin Township, on the north side of the Mataian River. The Ministry of Economic Affairs' written report mentioned that dredging of the Mataian and Hualien rivers was accelerated before the flood season of year 115 (2026). The cumulative post-disaster dredged volume for the Mataian River is 17.88 million cubic meters, and for the Hualien River, 4.22 million cubic meters, for a total of 22.1 million cubic meters. According to a WRA press release from late April, there are 31 cases of levee breach construction on centrally managed rivers, with 26 under construction and 5 not yet started. In response to concerns from KMT legislators Cheng Cheng-chien and Hsieh Yi-feng, Lin Yuan-peng said that all construction gaps are a key inspection point before every flood season. In addition to self-inspections by the River Basin Management Bureaus, the WRA will also conduct random checks on all of them. Levee breach construction sites are being closely reviewed before the flood season, the situation is under control, and there are no issues. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150521