Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

With forecast expecting the arrival of a second wave of heavy rainfall during monsoon season, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has strengthened patrol intensity at various locations across Taipei which are more prone to flooding. The focus of these patrols is to locate and remove debris, fallen leaves, and other items that cause blockage at roadside gutters.

According to the DEP, some of the hotspots for patrol include the ditches at night markets and other marketplaces. Statistics indicate that staff members have inspected a total of 12,268 ditches between January and April, as well as conducted stormwater sewer cleaning across an accumulated distance of 3,327,323 kilometers.

DEP pointed out that due to climate change, the likeliness of sudden and powerful torrential rain has increased significantly. To ensure the safety of citizens, the agency has already taken steps to carry out related cleaning and dredging to lessen the risk of flash floods. It also stressed that inspection teams will be dispatched immediately upon receiving notice of rainfall exceeding 20 millimeters per hour from the Fire Department.

The agency calls upon the public to be aware of their neighborhood environment and pay attention to DEP’s ditch-cleaning announcement. They should assist by removing vehicles, pots, and other items out of the way to allow city workers to more easily examine and clean roadside gutters.

Meanwhile, the public are encouraged to pay attention to obstacles that hamper stormwater drainage, such as plastic bags, discarded raincoats, leaves and branches, and waterproof mattresses blocking up gutter covers. Please remove them directly or call the 1999 Citizen’s Hotline to notify DEP.