TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Recent rains have added much-needed water to reservoirs in southern Taiwan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Friday.
According to the Water Resources Agency, Tsengwen Reservoir was 21.29% full as of noon, while Wushantou Reservoir stood at 41.03% and Nanhua Reservoir at 55.03%, per CNA.
Economic Affairs Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said the latest weather front has significantly improved water conditions in the south, per RTI. However, authorities will continue monitoring reservoir levels because demand for agricultural irrigation remains a factor.
Kung made the remarks after attending the first meeting of the ministry’s Industrial Development Advisory Council this year. Asked whether the second rice crop would receive irrigation as scheduled, he said the situation requires further observation.
The Water Resources Agency estimated that rainfall between June 4 and June 12 will bring about 450 million tonnes of water into Taiwan’s major reservoirs. Roughly 300 million tonnes have already flowed into storage.
Of the total, the Tsengwen-Wushantou reservoir system is expected to receive about 110 million tonnes of inflow, while Nanhua Reservoir is projected to gain around 55 million tonnes.
